A Killer in Me
by Reber02
Summary: Set after the Buu Saga. An accident at Capsule Corp turns Vegeta a child once again, leaving him the same age as Trunks and Goten. *Chapter 13* Vegeta and the boys connect, and they arrive at Planet Freiza number 34.
1. Default Chapter

Title: A Killer in Me

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

This was written by my sister Annabell...

Many thanks to Reber and Stacey for inspiring me to write this!

*^*^*^*^*

*Disarm you with a smile,

And cut you like you want me to.

Cut that little child,

Inside of me and such a part of you.

Ooh, the years burn,

Ooh, the years burn.*

~ Lyrics from the Smashing Pumpkins, "Disarm".

*^*^*^*^*

Dr. Briefs leaned back on his stool at his desk in the Capsule Corp lab, raising his arms over his head and stretching his back. The black cat on his shoulder also indulged in a stretch.

"Well, kitty," the graying man said to his companion, "I think I might have it this time." There was an air of barely suppressed excitement in his voice.

What he was working on was something he called a Regenerator Ray. It was supposed to restore old, moldy foods to their fresh, edible state. If he could get it to work, it would solve much of the world's hunger problem. But the invention was proving to be very difficult. It had taken him over a year to get as far as he had and it still wasn't working right. The first trials had resulted in a pile of large, incinerated oranges. Later testing had resulted in orange blossoms, seeds and even moldier oranges. Bulma had urged him several times to give it up, but Dr. Briefs was determined to make it work. And now, he thought he might have actually got it right.

He bent over the sleek barrel of the ray gun and resumed tinkering. The old man was so engrossed in his project that he failed to notice the sun setting outside the lab, or the faint charred smell of faulty wiring as one of the main generators caught on fire. Dr. Briefs was too caught up in the creative process of inventing to notice that his life was in grave danger. The little cat did notice, and tried to warn the doctor, but it was too late. Because at that point a loud explosion of the generator blowing itself to smithereens actually did attract his attention, as did fiery debris that rained down around him.

"What the…" he started.

The automatic sprinklers kicked on, drenching everything, but suddenly stopped as the neighboring generator felt the need to copy its companion and blow sky-high as well. Several large chunks of ceiling crashed around the old man, who immediately tried to dive under the table. But a nasty, jagged piece of support beam clipped his head as he dropped, rendering him unconscious. 

Outside, Bulma had screamed when the first generator exploded. She knew her father was working late in the lab, and tried to reach the workshop, but the collapsing ceiling had prevented her from entering. The blue haired woman frantically clawed at the sharp metal blocking her way to her father when a strong arm reached around her and pulled her back.

"Stay here, woman," a low voice growled. Turning abruptly, she stared frantically at the small Saiyan prince dressed in a dark blue workout suit and white gloves and boots. His familiar scowl, usually intimidating to most people, was the most welcome sight she could have seen at that time.

"Oh, god! Vegeta, father's in there! Get him out, please!" she nearly sobbed.

"I will, woman, just stay back!" Vegeta ordered. She nodded and stepped back to give him room. With a carefully controlled burst of ki, he cleared the blocked doorway, ignoring the thick smoke billowing out into the hallway. Bulma backed up, clamping a hand over her nose and mouth, trying not to inhale the smoke. Not bothered by the smoke or fire, Vegeta flew through the door and scanned the enormous lab, looking for Bulma' father. His black eyes narrowed as he spotted the prone figure under the table.

Moving with speed that would have stunned a human, Vegeta was by the unconscious doctor's side and scooped the old man up in his arms. Flying as fast as he dared, he returned to the hallway where Bulma waited for them, pacing up and down as near as she could.

"Thank you, Vegeta!" she cried as she took her father from the small Saiyan's arms. 

"Father?" she gently patted the old man's cheek to try to wake him up, but the doctor was completely out cold. She jumped back with as gasp of surprise as the lab coat stirred and the small cat crawled out, coughing dryly. Bulma looked up at a touch on her shoulder. 

"I'll take care of the fire, get him to the infirmary," the small prince ordered curtly.

Nodding, she dragged her father down the smoky hall, starting to cough as well. Vegeta turned back to the lab and entered the blazing room. With controlled ki bursts, he began to methodically extinguish the fires dotting the lab. He worked his way deeper into the burning building, trying not to inhale too deeply, and his scowl deepened as he progressed. Finally, he stood in the middle of the room, concentrating on his work.

Behind him, another smaller piece of ceiling fell and landed squarely on the miraculously intact Regenerator Ray. The impact activated the gun, sending out a beam of blue-white that hit Vegeta squarely in the back.

Vegeta staggered, a cry of surprise torn from his lips as the wave of light washed over him. It lasted just an instant, but in that instant, his whole body felt like it was jolted with an incredibly powerful lightning bolt. Then it was gone.

Snarling, Vegeta turned to locate the source of the unexpected attack. Seeing the offending piece of machinery, he promptly aimed a ki blast at it, and blew it into a million pieces. 

"Stupid machine," he muttered in annoyance as he turned back to his work. Slowly, the fire was contained; by then Vegeta's face was slick with sweat and soot, his breath coming in quick gasps. Finally, the last fire was extinguished. 

For a long moment, Vegeta stood in the middle of the gutted lab, panting hard. He shook his head, staggering slightly as his equilibrium left him briefly, and then recovered. He brought his hands up to clutch his hair, trying to get a grip on himself. A wave of nausea swept over him, and he crouched, leaning forward, gasping. He frantically tried to get control of himself. What the hell was going on?

Snarling, he straightened up, drawing in a deep breath of smoky air. The need for fresh air was suddenly overwhelming and Vegeta threw a shaky ki blast at the scorched ceiling overhead. As the remaining beams caved in, he gathered his fraying ki and flew into the sky above the smoldering Capsule Corp lab. Filling his lungs with the cool air cleared his spinning head for a little while. But then the dizziness returned with a vengeance. He tried to fly, but the world was spinning, and he couldn't seem to hold on to the concentration he needed to stay aloft. Unaware he was rocketing across the sky, and not knowing where he was going; he finally lost his tenuous control of his wildly fluctuating ki. Vegeta fell from the sky.

He crashed down in the woods, landing on his hands and knees, creating a huge dent in the soft ground underneath him. He leaned forward, closing his eyes as he continued breathing heavily. Then his stomach rebelled completely, and he vomited. The spasms of dry heaves wracked his body, long after he had emptied his stomach. 

He felt that his insides were simultaneously trying to implode and explode. Finally, trembling with weakness that seemed alien to him, the small prince managed to crawl a few feet before collapsing completely, too weak to support himself any longer.

Then the first wave of the real pain washed over him. Too weak to scream, he just lay there, writhing in agony. Gripping the cool earth in his gloved hands, he gritted his teeth. He couldn't understand what was happening to him. _Oh, Kami! What the fuck is wrong with me? Am I dying?_ Ironic that he, Vegeta, Prince of the almost extinct race of Saiyans, survivor of countless battles against overwhelming odds, was dying alone in the woods. Not even an enemy nearby to help him out of this misery, or even an ally. It would have been funny, but he was in no condition to apprectiate the humor. 

He opened his eyes as the pain seemed to recede slightly. Bright stars glittered through the leaves overhead. Dimly, he wondered if one of them was the sun that had shone down on his beloved Vegetasei. Then the pain came tearing back, and he forgot about 

Vegetasei, stars and everything as his whole body convulsed. The prince's vision turned red as his heart started slamming against his ribs. He screamed soundlessly, then finally, mercifully, black boiled up through the red, and Vegeta passed out.

In another part of the world, in a serene valley, Piccolo stirred in his meditation. Night insects continued to chirp, oblivious to his unease. As he levitated, the Namek stretched out his senses. He thought he had felt a disturbance, like someone's ki flaring wildly out of control. But as he waited for the feeling to repeat itself, there was nothing. 

Piccolo frowned. Whatever happened, it was over. But the Namek could not shake the feeling of foreboding. He knew that something was wrong, but decided to wait for it to reveal itself. In the mean time, Piccolo would prepare himself to meet any challenge that the future would bring.

At Kame House, Krillin straightened up from digging in the refrigerator, where he had been looking for a late night snack. He frowned, stretching out his senses. He could have sworn he had felt something, but there was nothing. Shrugging, he turned back to the leftover banana cream pie that 18 had made for dessert that night. He smirked, knowing that Oolong would be mad at him for eating the last of it. 

At the Son residence, teenage Gohan stirred uneasily in his sleep. But the disturbance was far away, and he subconsciously knew that his father was there, to protect them if anything was wrong. In the next room, two young boys, Trunks and Goten exhausted from a long day of roughhousing, slept on, oblivious.

In his bed, Son Goku opened his eyes. Carefully getting out of bed, so as not to disturb Chi-Chi, he walked to the window and leaned out on the sill. Studying the sky, a worried look crossed his normally cheerful features. "Vegeta?" he whispered. Tensely, he waited for another disturbance; one that would send him rocketing into the sky to aid his friend, but there was nothing. Finally he went back to bed, but did not sleep.

In the charred, smoky remains of what was once a Capsule Corps lab, Bulma sighed. The sun was beginning to light the horizon, clearly visible through the gaping holes in the walls. Dr. Briefs was going to be all right; he had a concussion and was suffering from smoke inhalation, but the doctors had assured her that the old man would live to invent again.

Coughing slightly from the smoke still lingering in the air, Bulma silently thanked Kami that no one had been hurt in the fire. It had been sheer luck that Trunks had been staying over with Goten. She shuddered to think of what she would have done if her son had been there when the generator had exploded. Although it probably would not have hurt the young half Saiyan, she was still a mother. If not for Vegeta, her father would have been dead. And speaking of Vegeta…

"Where the hell is he?" she wondered.

Deep in the woods…

A little Saiyan child scrunched his nose. The air didn't smell like the recycled space pod air that he was used to breathing. Instead, it was rich, filled with a multitude of scents that teased his senses with their variety. Strange creatures made chirping noises around him as he slowly opened his dark eyes. He was little more than a cub, but to Saiyans, age was irrelevant.

He was lying on his stomach with his cheek pressed into the soft earth. He drew a deep breath, savoring the strong smells of dirt, trees and wild creatures. A slow smirk curled his lips as he raised his head, his furry tail twitched in anticipation. He hoped there were strong inhabitants on this planet, because he really needed a challenge. He had to get stronger, much stronger, if he was going to defeat Freiza. 

He rose to his feet, wobbling a little. Feeling a bit strange, he stretched hard, trying to loosen up any stiff muscles. His tail ruffled before he relaxed with a grin of anticipation. The Saiyan cub found it hilarious that by sending him out to clean up planets, Freiza was unknowingly helping to bring about his own destruction. Each time the little Saiyan fought, he got stronger. Someday, he would be stronger than the lunatic changeling, and then everything would change.

Then he frowned, noticing that he wasn't wearing his armor. 

What the…? 

Then he looked closely at what he _was_ wearing. It was his usual dark blue sleeveless jumpsuit, but it was filthy! Sniffing, he wrinkled his nose again, this time in disgust. It smelled like smoke. 

Did the pod crash? He wondered, _Strange, I don't see it. _And then he realized that he didn't have a scouter either. _Well, shit. Freiza must really be testing me this time. _Dark eyes narrowed. _Fine then, I'll play this his way, stupid bastard._

With a self-confident swagger, the young Saiyan started walking through the forest, his keen senses cataloging sights, sounds and scents for future reference. _I wonder who is going to buy this planet?_ Then he dismissed the thought. Who cares?

Hearing a different sound, something that sounded mechanical rather than natural, the Saiyan headed towards it. He came out on a busy road, and observed primitive floating motor vehicles. Curling his lip in derision, the Saiyan walked directly out onto the road and put a hand out.

"Stop!" he commanded.

Cars went everywhere, caroming off of each other, trying to avoid hitting the small figure standing arrogantly in the middle of the road. The sweet sound of metal rending and the screaming of the cars' occupants filled the air. The Saiyan child laughed. 

Picking a car at random, he approached the upside down vehicle. The occupants were dazed. Impatiently, the Saiyan ripped open the door and peered in. In it was a young man dressed in a suit. His passenger was a female, moaning as a stream of blood dripped steadily down her forehead. 

"Hey!" he shouted, getting the attention of the driver. 

"Huh?" was the groggy reply.

"Who is the strongest man on this miserable mudball?" the boy demanded.

"Mr. Satan," the man mumbled, spitting some blood.

"Where is he?" 

"Satan City." The man waved vaguely up the road. 

The Saiyan cub turned his back on the injured pair and began to walk straight up the middle of the road, heading in the direction that the man in the upside down car at pointed. People in the smashed cars stared at the boy, there was something about him, and it wasn't just his furry tail swaying behind him either.

"Hey, you!" A very pissed off man climbing out the wreckage of his brand new car shouted at the boy. "You little shit! Just who the hell to you think you are?"

The boy stopped walking. Turning around, he didn't answer the man. He just lifted one hand with his palm out and his thumb folded across it. A ball of light materialized in the boy's palm, growing to the size of a soft ball. 

The man didn't have time to react.

"Big Bang Attack."

The ball of light flew at the man, incinerating both him, and his car. 

KAAAAAA-BOOM!!

Even before the car's fuel tank exploded, the boy had resumed his journey to Satan City. There was a series of explosions as neighboring cars also caught on fire. The screams of the people being burned alive as well as the explosions brought a small, catlike smile to the Saiyan cub's lips. 

"Fools," he snorted. Then, gathering his ki, the boy flew through the air, eager to meet this Mr. Satan guy. Meet him…and kill him.

As the Saiyan cub entered the city, he flew lower and lower, frowning.

"Maybe I should have asked what this moron Mr. Satan looked like before I blew them 

away," he mumbled to himself. Shrugging, he set down in a quiet neighborhood and looked around. Houses lined the street and tall trees shaded the sidewalks. He walked down the street, looking for a person to ask his question. He saw a housewife taking dry clothes off of her clothesline. Her hair was up in rollers and her terrycloth bathrobe fluttered in the breeze.

The small Saiyan made a beeline for her. "Woman!" he called to her.

She turned around, and her eyes widened. A small child was scowling up at her. A thick mane of wild hair stood on end, with errant locks tumbling down over his forehead. And curling behind him was…

"A tail!" she exclaimed.

The child frowned harder if possible. "Where can I find Mr. Satan," he demanded, folding his little arms over his chest.

She beamed down at the child. Despite the grouchy look on his face, he was absolutely adorable! "Why, he lives on the other side of town, near Orange Star High School."

The boy nodded once and turned to leave, then something caught his eye.

Fluttering on the clothesline was a black short sleeve shirt. But what had caught his attention wasn't the shirt; it was what was on the shirt. It was a picture of a brown creature, which looked remarkably like the Saiyan's Ozuruu form (actually, it was just a monkey) crouching and glaring with red eyes and a long tail curling up behind it. Clenched in its jaws was a long, wicked-looking knife. Under the wonderful picture was the words Furious George. Whatever that meant.

"Obviously, you are one of the more intelligent inhabitants of this planet," the Saiyan said to the woman.

She giggled. "That belonged to my son, but he's finally outgrown it. Do you want it?" 

The Saiyan boy's smile was feral. "Yes, I think I would."

Later, wearing his new shirt over his torn and stained jumpsuit, the small Saiyan landed next to a large building just as a bell rang. Young people who had been milling aimlessly around the grounds started drifting into the school. Ignoring them, the boy looked up at the words near the top of the building over the door.

Orange Star High School.

Grinning with anticipation, the Saiyan's tail twitched from side to side. He was getting close. After he killed this Mr. Satan, then he would go about clearing the rest of the planet. Its best to start from the top and work your way down.

He became aware that he was being watched. Deliberately he looked around. Most of the people had gone into the building, but there were a few stragglers left. One group of five teenage boys were dressed in leather jackets and was holding small white sticks that smoked in their mouths. Grinning to each other, they sauntered over to where the little shrimp was standing and staring up at the school. 

"Well, well, well. Lookie here boys! What's this?" the one in the lead asked the others as they neared the boy and spread out, surrounding the kid with the monkey shirt.

The Saiyan didn't appear to care; he just lowered his head and smirked, his arms folded over his chest. The tip of his furry tail twitched ever so slightly.

The biggest one, who had a shaved head, took his stick out of his mouth and bent over right in the boy's face. Deliberately he exhaled the smoke into the little wimp's face. 

The boy closed his dark eyes briefly as the smoke rolled across his face, but didn't move, or even change expression. The furry tip continued to twitch back and forth.

"Hey, guys. Get a load of this! This kid has a tail," one of the bullies called to his companions. "Isn't it cute!" he sneered, reaching out to grab it.

Afterward, none of the would-be bullies could clearly remember exactly what happened. In one instant, the kid wearing a monkey shirt was standing there, motionless. The next instant, all of them were lying on the ground, none less then thirty feet from the boy with a furry tail.

"What the hell…" one of them muttered. Slowly they all got to their feet, each in varying states of shock. The kid was still standing there, smirking. But now he was enveloped by a surging white flame, making his face seem almost demonic.

"What the hell are you?" the biggest one who had blown smoke in the kid's face demanded, his own face white.

The kid didn't answer. Instead he slowly raised one hand, palm out. To the bully's horror, a sphere of light nestled in the small palm began to glow and grow bigger. The bully could only stand there in shock, as the kid's smirk grew even wider. That was the last thing the bully saw.

The other members of the gang stared in horror at the sight of their friend being incinerated. Then the kid turned and looked at the rest of them. That was all it took to break the spell. They took off like the devil himself was after them, and in reality, it wasn't very far from the truth.

Videl was hurrying to class when she was nearly trampled by the herd of terrified teenagers. They were screaming and a few of them were even sobbing. She recognized them as some of the local brats that thought they were tough and picked on anyone smaller than themselves, which was most of the school.

"What in the world?" she wondered aloud. What had scared them so badly?

She watched them run down the hall and turn the corner. Them Videl heard a sound behind her and turned, crouching into a fighting stance, ready to defend herself against whatever monster had terrified the toughest kids in school. Her eyes widened as her jaw dropped in surprise. 

"It's just a kid!" she exclaimed as she straightened up.

The kid raised an eyebrow at her as he folded his arms over his black t-shirt. "Do you have a problem with my being young?" he asked. 

Videl was about to answer when she looked closer at the black-haired boy. Waving behind him was a furry, brown...

"You have a tail!" she gasped.

The kid rolled his eyes. "I can see nothing gets by you. You must be one of the lower intelligent beings on this mudball," he sneered. 

Mr. Satan's daughter frowned briefly at the snide remark; though there was something familiar about the smirking expression and the stance. Something that reminded her of someone that she was acquainted with. Then she remembered something that Gohan had told her about tails. "You're a little Saiyan!" she said, smiling with delight. "I know some people who will be so excited to meet you. I didn't there were any other Saiyans left! And you're just a kid. Look at you, you are so adorable!"

Gohan, who heard the panicked screams of the gang of toughs, had come running to the source of the disturbance, only to skid to a stop as Videl flew by, crashed into the wall behind him, and slid down to lie in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Videl!" he shouted, spinning around to face whatever evil had knocked his crime-fighting partner into next week. His black eyes grew large at the sight of the kid with wild black hair standing calmly with one fist extended. "Why did you hit her?" he asked.

The kid snorted in disdain. "She called me adorable."

Gohan gaped, not having an answer for that. Instead, he crouched down next to Videl, and helped her to her feet. She stood, swaying as the world spun around her. "What happened?" she muttered.

"That kid hit you." Gohan supplied helpfully. 

She shook her head, trying to clear it. "That little brat! I'll…" she started.

"You'll what?" the kid snapped. "Bleed on me?"

"Enough, both of you." Gohan didn't want to have to break up a fight, especially when the combatants were a girl and a kid. "Videl, we are going to be late for class. Let's go." He turned to leave.

"Gohan, wait!" Videl said, grabbing his arm. "Look at that kid!" she ordered.

Gohan rolled his eyes before turning back around. Obediently he looked at the kid, who had folded his little arms over his chest. "What about him, Videl?" he asked.

"Don't you see anything unusual about him?" 

Gohan looked closer. "Not really, except for that hair." He shrugged, turning to leave again.

"Gohan! He had a tail!" she all but shrieked.

"What?!" 

Now that Gohan was looking closer, he could see it clearly. It was a long, furry brown tail that twitched slightly at the tip. "You're a Saiyan!" Gohan ran up to the kid, who took a step back warily.

"Keep you're distance, whatever-you-are!" the kid ordered.

"Hey, take it easy. I'm half Saiyan," Gohan explained. "I used to have a tail like that." 

Without thinking, Gohan reached out to touch the soft fur.

The kid leaped away, almost hissing in rage. "Don't touch the tail!"

"Sorry," Gohan apologized, red-faced. In an attempt to divert the kid's attention from his blunder, the half-Saiyan changed the subject. "How long have you been here?"

The kid snarled, his tail lashing from side to side. "Since this morning, not that it's any of your business."

"Oh, well. If you don't have a place to stay, want to stay with my family? My dad is a Saiyan and I'll bet he'd love to meet you!" Gohan offered.

The little Saiyan considered it. With the exception of Nappa and Raditz, he was the only Saiyan left. If there were more Saiyans, it was his duty to meet with them. Plus, if there were already Saiyans here, why the hell hadn't the planet been cleared yet? He had to investigate this.

"Very well, I will go with you now to meet the other Saiyan," he announced.

Now it was Videl's turn to worry about punctuality. "Gohan, you'll be late for class!" She grabbed his arm.

"It won't take long, just tell the teacher something and I'll be back as soon as possible!" 

He shook loose his arm and motioned for the ornery squirt to follow him. They jogged out the front door and blasted into the sky. Gohan looked over at his little companion. 

The kid was keeping pace with no apparent difficulty.

"That kid reminds me of someone," Gohan thought. "But who?"

TBC


	2. Stranger in a Strange Land

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or any of its characters. This is done purely for fun.

Special thanks go to my sister Reber and to Stacey, who encouraged me to write this.

Archive: FFN and if you want, ask and you shall receive.

Warnings: violence and swearing 

A Killer in Me 

Chapter 2

I used to be a little boy

So old in my shoes

And what I choose is my choice

What's a boy supposed to do?

The killer in me is the killer in you

My love

I send this smile over to you

-Disarm by Smashing Pumpkins

Chi-Chi hummed to herself as she stirred the pancake batter. She could hear the two boys stirring upstairs and knew they'd be down soon, as hungry as starving wolves. Gohan had already left for school and Goku…

She sighed, looking out the window. Goku had risen early and gone out, not wanting breakfast. She knew that meant something was seriously wrong. She could only hope that whatever it was, was something that wouldn't put her family in too much danger. She poured the batter on the grill and braced herself for the experience of feeding two demi-Saiyans. 

A few minutes later, a stampede of elephants in the form of Trunks and Goten arrived in the kitchen.

"Good morning mother!" Goten greeted her. He was nine years old now, and the spitting image of his father. He even the same wide-eyed look of wonder.

"Good morning!" Ten-year-old Trunks greeted her as well. A beautiful cross between his parents, he would grow up to break hearts, Chi-Chi knew. She was glad that she didn't have a daughter.

"It's about time you two got up!" Chi-Chi said with a smile. "I thought you would sleep all day. Did you sleep alright?" 

"Yes!" they chorused. Leaping into their chairs, they grabbed some pancakes and bacon and toast and started shoveling the food into their mouths. Chi-Chi shook her head in wonder. The only thing that could out eat a half Saiyan was a full Saiyan, and she had one of those as well. That made her think of Goku again, and she bit her lip in worry.

A sound outside attracted her attention. Thinking it was her husband, she opened the door and nearly fell over when her eldest son greeted her.

"Gohan! Why aren't you in school?" she demanded as he entered the kitchen and nodded at his brother and their friend. They waved a greeting but didn't stop eating.

"I was, but this kid showed up and I thought it was best to bring him here, before he caused more trouble," Gohan answered. He moved aside to allow a little boy, no more than Trunks and Goten's age, to enter. 

The two demi-Saiyans actually paused in inhaling their food to stare at the new kid, their faces alive with curiosity. The kid stared back with barely hidden hostility. He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. His tail twitched from side to side.

"Look! Trunks, he has a tail!" Goten pointed a syrup-covered finger at the little Saiyan.

Trunks hopped down from his chair and approached the boy wearing the monkey shirt. "Are you a Saiyan?" he asked, delight lighting up his blue eyes.

The little Saiyan child eyed him warily. "Yes," he snapped, trying not to feel a little nervous. Who were these people?

"Who is this, Gohan?" Chi-Chi asked, staring at the boy. She looked closely at the wild, dark hair and the aggressive stance. "He looks like a little Vegeta!" she exclaimed.

"That's who he reminds me of!" Gohan snapped his fingers. "I knew there was someone!"

The boy looked up at Chi-Chi. "You know my father?" he asked, surprised.

"You're Vegeta's son?" Chi-Chi almost shrieked, causing all the demi-Saiyans and the full blooded Saiyan to clamp their hands over their sensitive ears. "That two-timing creep! He's been cheating on Bulma all this time and didn't have the decency to tell her he has another son!"

"Wow, Vegeta is your daddy?" Goten asked, as Chi-Chi fumed about the male gender and their wandering ways.

Seeing the Saiyan boy nod, Goten poked Trunks. "Hey, Trunks. You have a brother!"

"Cool!" the purple-haired boy exclaimed. "Now I can be like you and Gohan!"

"What do you mean?" the boy demanded, glaring at Trunks in anger. "I am an only child!" he spat.

"Nope! Vegeta's my dad too! C'mon, are you hungry?" Trunks pulled the confused and seething boy to the table and pushed him into a chair. "I can't wait until Mom finds out!" he said as he jumped back into his own chair and pushed some pancakes at his 'brother'. "Here, try these. They're good!"

The little Saiyan started to snarl something, then caught a whiff of the food in front of him. Despite himself, he began to eat, getting hungrier with each bite. He would figure it out later. Right now, he was starving.

Chi-Chi in the meantime had heard Trunk's words. "I'll bet Bulma will be very interested in this!" she muttered. Making sure that there was enough food prepared for the kids, she snatched up the phone and started dialing furiously. "I hope she tears that two-timer's liver out!"

Bulma had just finished talking to her father who had regained consciousness a few minutes ago. He had been crushed to hear the news of the complete destruction of the lab. Dr. Briefs had told her about nearly completing the Regenerator Ray. Now all his hard work was gone.

Bulma had tried to console her father. "At least you are alive! That's all that matters, father." She told him how Vegeta had saved him and the cat and put out the fires. She didn't mention how she hadn't been able to find the Saiyan prince afterwards. Though she loathed to admit it, she was rather worried. Vegeta wasn't in the Gravity chamber, or in his room. His bed hadn't been slept in at all. 

Then she shook her head, and silently scolded herself. Vegeta was a grown Saiyan! He could take care of himself. 

She sifted through the rubble, trying to find something salvageable. If there was any data left from her dad's experiment, perhaps the Regenerator Ray could be rebuilt.

Her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Bulma! This is Chi-Chi!" 

Bulma winced and held the phone away from her ear. "Hello, Chi-Chi! How are you?" 

"You have to come over here right now!" Chi-Chi demanded. "And bring Vegeta with you! This concerns him too."

"Um, sorry Chi-Chi, but I can't. There was a big fire in one of our labs here last night and my father was hurt. We have a hell of a mess to clean up. Also, I don't know where Vegeta is. I haven't seen him since last night. He just disappeared."

There was a brief moment of silence, as Bulma closed her eyes in relief. She liked Chi-Chi, she really did. But there were some times that the head of Capsule Corp would gladly muzzle Goku's wife.

"Oh, ok. I see." She could hear the regret in Chi-Chi's voice and suppressed her annoyance. 

"What's wrong? Why do you want us to come over?" Bulma bent over to inspect a piece of shattered equipment. Was that part of her father's Regenerator Ray?

"Well, Gohan brought a little Saiyan boy home that he found in his school. He has a tail and everything!" Chi-Chi answered, some excitement creeping back into her voice.

Bulma perked up. "Really?" she asked, intrigued.

"Yes! And there's more. Brace yourself, Bulma. He says that Vegeta's his father!" There was a brief pause as Chi-Chi drew in a breath and announced dramatically. "Oh, Bulma, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Vegeta's been cheating on you!" 

Bulma could hear the sorrow and regret in Chi-Chi's voice. But that was in the background of her mind at the moment, because there was another thought that occurred to Trunk's mother.

Three important facts stood out. Vegeta was missing. The Regenerator Ray had been functional. A little Saiyan boy had shown up out of the blue. As far as Bulma knew, and Vegeta had confirmed it, there was no Saiyans left except for those living on Earth. "Oh, Kami. NO!" she whispered in horror.

"Oh, Bulma. I'm so sorry to be the one to have to tell you this," Chi-Chi commiserated, completely misinterpreting Bulma's reaction. 

Bulma shook herself out of her stupor. Grimly she stood up. "Don't let that kid out of your sight, Chi-Chi! I mean it! I'll be right over!" Not giving Chi-Chi a chance to respond, Bulma shut off her cell phone and sprinted outside, reaching into the pocket of her lab coat and pulling out a capsule as she ran. Clicking the capsule, she threw it as far as she could. 

****

Bamff!

As the smoke cleared, she leaped into the small plane that materialized from its capsule holder and started it up with a roar of engines. I swear I won't be mad if Vegeta had an affair if only it means that I'm wrong!

Meanwhile, at the Son residence…

Goku had returned home and was standing outside, frowning. He could sense several ki inside, but there was something strange going on. It was time for school, but Gohan was home! 

He could sense Trunks and Goten's ki easily, as well as Chi-Chi's, but there was another one inside that he couldn't identify but seemed almost…familiar.

Shrugging he opened the door and took in the scene. Gohan was lurking next to the wall, smirking as he watched his mother trying to keep up with three voracious appetites. The teenager was perfectly happy blending into the background. He wanted to see what happened when Bulma showed up. This was much more fun than school. 

Chi-Chi was muttering to herself about the evils of men in general, and a Saiyan prince in particular. Trunks and Goten were trying to engage the other boy at the table in conversation, but the boy ignored them, intent on eating as much as he could.

It was this boy that Goku zeroed in on. He was sitting with his back to Goku but the Saiyan noted the wild black hair stood on end and a furry tail stuck out behind the chair, twitching from side to side. Then Goten looked up and saw…

"Dad!" he exclaimed in delight.

"Hey, Goten!" Goku smiled but his gaze never left the little Saiyan who spun around at the greeting. Black eyes widened in shock and recognition a bare second before narrowing in rage and hate.

"Bardock!" the kid spat, strangely like a cat. 

Goku looked over his shoulder to see whom the kid was talking to. There was no one there and he turned back around. "Who?" he asked, right as the boy launched himself at the tall Saiyan.

"You miserable traitor!" the kid landed a punch right in Goku's face before Goku could react. Catching the raging boy by the scruff of the neck, Goku held him at arm's length, studying the furious face as the boy tried to punch him again and again. But his arms were too short; they didn't reach past Goku's elbow. 

Finally, the little Saiyan subsided. He hung there in Goku's grasp, glaring in hate with his tail lashing furiously from side to side. He crossed his arms, trying to look dignified. "I should have known that you'd be here."

"What?" Goku had no clue what the kid was talking about. He looked at the audience in the kitchen and saw his expression mirrored by everyone else.

"You heard me, you stinking bastard! You abandoned me, you miserable…" and the kid proceeded to launch into such a vivid description of Goku's parentage, and mating habits that Chi-Chi clamped her hands over Goten's ears. Every once in a while, the little Saiyan would try to throw a punch or kick at Goku, just for good measure.

Trunks was impressed. "Wow! He swears as good as my dad!"

Finally, the little Saiyan wound down. Glaring in hate at Goku he crossed his arms. "What do you have to say for yourself, traitor!"

Goku regarded the fiercely scowling child that hung in his grip and tried to keep a straight face, but it was hard. The chubby cheeks and wild hair eliminated any intimidation factor the child might posses.

"Who is Bardock?" Gohan wanted to know. 

"He is!" the little Saiyan pointed at Goku.

"No I'm not!" Goku denied. "I'm Goku!" he grinned at the boy.

The kid peered closely at Goku, studying his features. Dawning comprehension smoothed the scowl, but not completely. "Oh, I see that you're not Bardock. My mistake," he said shortly. The little Saiyan didn't apologize, he never apologized.

"Why did you think that my Dad's name was Bardock?" Gohan asked from the side of the kitchen.

The kid twisted to look at Gohan in surprise. "This is your father? You are a Saiyan!" he looked back at Goku. "But Goku isn't a Saiyan name!" he accused.

"No, my Saiyan name is Kakkarott," Goku said cheerfully. 

"Kakkarott," the boy mused. 

"So what's your name?" Goku asked. He was still holding the boy by the scruff of the neck, but the boy didn't seem to notice, because yet another person joined them.

"Oh, my god!" Bulma exclaimed from behind Goku. "Vegeta?" she asked tentatively, hope and dread filled her voice.

"What?" the kid barked impatiently.

"What!?" the rest of them chorused, stunned. 

"Is there an echo in here?" Vegeta asked sarcastically. He stretched his neck to peer over Goku's shoulder. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm Bulma. Oh, Kami. It IS you, isn't it, Vegeta?" the blue-haired woman answered, slipping around Goku.

"B-B-Bulma, are you serious? You are saying that kid IS Vegeta?" Gohan stuttered.

"Of course I'm Vegeta, who the hell else would I be?" Vegeta snapped. 

Goku peered at the Saiyan prince with wide-eyes wonder. "Whoa. This is Vegeta?" he asked.

"That's Dad? What happened to him?" Trunks wanted to know. He was disappointed that the kid wasn't his brother, but the fact that his father was now younger than he was, was much more exciting. 

"Father was working on his Regenerator Ray last night and had just got it functioning when the generators blew up. Vegeta went in to put the fires out and somehow he must have gotten hit by the Ray." Bulma explained. "It turned him into a kid again."

"Wow!" said Goku. "Vegeta is a little kid! He's adorable!"

"Dad, no!" Gohan shouted, but his warning came too late.

Vegeta promptly threw a ki blast right into Goku's face. As the smoke cleared, the tall Saiyan stood shocked, the whites of his eyes contrasted sharply with the black of his soot-covered face. One of his wild locks that stood on end was burning steadily.

"Don't call me adorable!" the small prince growled.

Goku snapped out of his shock, and put the fire in his hair out with a rueful laugh. "Yup, this is Vegeta alright," he said.

Vegeta snarled at the tall Saiyan, and then abruptly realized he was still hanging from Goku's grasp. "WILL YOU PUT ME DOWN ALREADY!?" he roared at Goku.

Goku's eyes widened once again. "Oh, of course!" he gave and embarrassed laugh as he gently set the outraged prince back on his feet.

"But you said Vegeta was your father!" Chi-Chi said, still confused.

"Of course. King Vegeta. Who did you think I was talking about?" little Vegeta sniffed haughtily. 

"Oh," Chi-Chi blushed, embarrassed by her blunder. 

Bulma was carefully checking over the little prince, who was staring at her suspiciously. "Woman, what the hell are you doing?" he stepped back out of her reach.

"I am going to have to find out if the effects of the Regenerator Ray are permanent, or if they can be reversed. I am not sure I can live with the idea that the father of my son is younger than he is!" she said.

"What are you talking about woman?" he demanded, horrified. Then he turned to Trunks. "And I'm not his father!"

"Yes you are. Don't you remember anything?" Bulma asked.

"I have no idea what you are talking about" Vegeta said, his tail flipping from side to side in agitation.

"How old are you?" Gohan asked the little prince.

Feeling slightly cornered, Vegeta put his back to a wall. "I'm nine years old," he replied warily. 

Bulma, Chi-Chi and Goku exchanged glances.

"Do you remember living on Earth?" Bulma asked.

Vegeta shook his head, scowling. "No, of course not. I've never been here before. If I had, you all would not be here right now. The planet would have been cleansed." A thought occurred to him. Turning to Goku, he stared up at the tall Saiyan. "Speaking of which, why didn't you clean this planet?"

Goku put a hand behind his head and laughed nervously. "Well, you see I hit my head when I got to Earth and forgot I was a Saiyan."

Vegeta stared at him, not sure whether to feel horror, outrage and disgust, and settled for a mixture of the three. "YOU FORGOT YOU WERE A SAIYAN!?" He clenched his little fists and shook his head in disbelief. "Great Kami, I know that Saiyans aren't the brightest bunch, but this guy is a complete idiot." Turning back to Goku, he sneered. "Very well, since you have failed your mission, I'll just have to do it for you!"

"Vegeta, you are not here to cleanse the planet. Freiza is dead." Bulma said, trying to forestall a massacre. 

"What? Dead? How?" Now Vegeta's eyes widened in shock.

"I killed him!" Trunks boasted proudly.

Vegeta rounded on the purple-haired demi-Saiyan. "YOU?" 

Goten scowled at Trunks. "Not him! It was another him from the future!" he 'clarified'.

Trunks scowled back. "It was so me, just not me me!" he argued back. 

Seeing Vegeta's expression, Gohan spoke up. "Trunks came back from the future to warn us about some killer androids, and when he got here, he killed Freiza who was coming to kill us because my father defeated him on Namek."

The group of them then launched into the confusing tale of Saiyans, androids, Majins, and Dragonballs. 

Vegeta's eyes began to glaze over. Finally, he clutched his head in his hands. "ENOUGH!" Silence decended on the group. The small prince drew a deep breath. "You are all insane," he concluded. Turning his back on them, he walked to the door.

"Vegeta, where are you going?" Bulma asked.

Not looking back, Vegeta answered calmly. "I'm going to go kill Mr. Satan. Then I'm going to come back and finish you off. Nothing this crazy should be allowed to live." 

He actually made it outside before any of them reacted. They looked at each other and were starting to follow after the little prince when an outraged yell from outside had them rushing to the door, falling over each other in their hurry.

When they got outside, they were met by the sight of Piccolo standing with his cape billowing in the wind, and holding Vegeta by the scruff of the neck at arm's length.

"Dammit!" Vegeta tried to clock Piccolo, but his arms were too short to hit the Namek from where he hung. "What is with you people? Put me down, you overgrown pickle!"

Piccolo snorted as he looked at Goku and the gang. "So this is Vegeta?" He raised an antenna in amusement.

Vegeta crossed his arms again and glared at them. "I'm really beginning to hate you people."

TBC

Author's note. If it seems that Trunks accepts Vegeta as a brother, watch movie 13, you'll understand.


	3. Monkey See, Monkey Do

A Killer in Me

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters. Yadda…yadda…yadda.

Warnings: Language

Special thanks as always go to Stacey and Maria

Archive: FFN and Stormy! Otherwise, ask and you shall receive.

Chapter 3

I used to be a little boy

So old in my shoes

And what I choose is my choice

What's a boy supposed to do?

The killer in me is the killer in you

My love

Send this smile over to you

-Disarm by the Smashing Pumpkins

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Vegeta was doing a remarkable job of assimilating it all. The young prince had an uncanny ability of adapting to radically new situations without batting an eye. "So you are telling me that both Raditz and Nappa are dead? And that myself and Kugo over there are the last of the Saiyans?" 

"Uh…it's Goku," Goku corrected.

"Whatever," the prince dismissed him with a careless wave. "That's how it is now?"

There were noises to the affirmative. Vegeta didn't seem unduly upset by this and Bulma commented on it. Vegeta just shrugged. "Nappa, I loathe. Even for a Saiyan he was stupid. And as for Raditz, he was the son of that traitor Bardock. He deserved it."

"You knew Raditz's father?" Gohan asked in surprise.

"Don't remind me," Vegeta said sourly.

"So that means that Bardock is…er…_was_ our grandfather," Gohan said to Goten.

"You knew Grandpa?" Goten asked Vegeta in awe. 

Goku was wide-eyed as well. "My father's name was Bardock?"

Vegeta paced up to Goku and stared at him, eyes narrowed. "You are Bardock's other son? It figures. You look exactly like him, except for the scars." He turned his back on the other Saiyan and crossed his arms. "Do me a favor and stay away from me."

Goku looked hurt. "But…Vegeta?" he protested.

Vegeta's tail lashed as he paced up and down the front yard, ignoring the stares of the Z fighters. "This is insane," he said. Hearing them beginning to protest his statement, he shook his head. "I mean this situation is insane." He growled low in his throat. 

"Well, why don't we go back to Capsule Corporation?" Bulma suggested. "I'm pretty sure my father can figure out what he did to his Regenerator Ray and reverse it."

Vegeta's eyes were just the slightest bit wild. "I will not be experimented on!" he snarled, curling a small fist.

"Don't worry father," Trunks assured him. "Grandpa is very good. Father won't have to stay like this, will he?" he asked Bulma.

"No way!" she declared.

But the prince didn't have a problem with being young again. There was something else preying on his mind. "Twelve years," he mused to himself, but Piccolo's sharp ears caught it.

"Twelve years?" he asked.

Vegeta looked up at the Nameckian. "It's been twelve years since Freiza was killed." His eyes gleamed with some unknown thoughts. "I wonder." A pause. "Where is my gear?" he demanded.

"At Capsule Corp." 

"Take me there."

Something about the little Saiyan's manner made Piccolo's teeth itch. Vegeta was up to something. Of all the Saiyans that Piccolo had met, or of any beings for that matter, Vegeta was probably the most ruthless and cunning. Not to mention sneaky, underhanded and opportunistic. Anytime that wily brain of his was in overdrive, dangerous things happened. Mentally cringing though knowing that he probably would regret it if he didn't, Piccolo 'volunteered' to accompany them. 

To Goten's disappointment, he was not allowed to go. Chi-Chi didn't want her youngest son hanging around the prince. She just knew that Vegeta was bad news at any age. 

Seeing the downcast look on the littlest Son's face, Gohan whispered that they would go visit Trunks and Vegeta when he got home from school. Chi-Chi squashed Goku's aspirations as well. The dark-haired harridan told the tall Saiyan in loud words and gestures that he was staying home, end of story. 

Vegeta watched the small woman bullying her husband with disbelief. "Why doesn't he just blast her?" he wanted to know.

Trunks and Piccolo exchanged a glance. "Goku is the most gentle, kind-hearted person," Piccolo ignored the gagging noises from the small prince as he continued, "that I have ever met," he finished with his teeth clenched. Though he would rather be tortured for days on end before he admitted it, the Nameckian almost agreed with Vegeta. Almost.

"Pathetic," the little prince snorted. "Lets go."

So both Goku and Goten with identical hangdog expressions, waved goodbye to Bulma, Trunks, Vegeta and Piccolo. Only Trunks returned their wave as they blasted off, Bulma in her small plane and the rest flying under their own power. Gohan flew back to school and peace once again descended on Chi-Chi's domain. 

They arrived at the big corporation without incident. Vegeta eyed the buildings, unimpressed. "Primitive," he sniffed. Bulma hurried off to find her father, leaving Trunks and Vegeta in Piccolo's care.

"Where is my room?" the prince asked Trunks

"This way!" He scampered down one long hall and turned a corner. Vegeta followed more sedately with Piccolo not a step behind.

"Why are you following me?" Vegeta snapped, his tail lashing from side to side.

"What are you up to?" Piccolo asked, his tone saying clearly that he doubted very much that Vegeta could be trusted to behave.

"None of your business!" Vegeta retorted. "What do you think I am, one of these pathetic human beings?"

"Hurry up!" Trunks called down the hallway.

"No, I will never make that mistake," Piccolo replied, trying to keep his cool. It seemed that younger Vegeta was just as good as the older version for getting under Piccolo's green skin.

As if sensing his thoughts, the little prince continued. "If you are worried about me purging this pathetic mudball, you can stop. Now that Freiza is dead, I have other fish to fry."

"What do you mean?" Piccolo asked, trying not to sweat. Other fish?

"Here!" Trunks announced from an open doorway.

For the first time, Piccolo saw Vegeta's room. It didn't have much to say about its occupant. No pictures adorned the walls. Everything was simple, straightforward and neat. Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "This is my room?" He didn't sound impressed, but then the prince had yet to be impressed by anything so far.

Piccolo stayed in the doorway with his arms folded as Trunks opened the closet door. "I think all your clothes are too big for you," he said. "I'll get some of mine, they should fit."

Vegeta ran a jaundiced eye over Trunks' jeans and Capsule Corp sweatshirt. "The height of fashion I'm sure," he sneered. "Is there any workout suits in there?"

Trunks was not put off by Vegeta's attitude. "Yeah, of course!" he beamed. Vegeta fascinated Trunks. As an adult, the Saiyan prince was habitually reserved, preferring to keep everyone at a distance, including his son, who worshipped his father. But this younger version of Vegeta was less intimidating, and Trunks found himself more and more fascinated. Trunks ducked around Piccolo and tore down to his own room, leaving Vegeta and Piccolo alone.

Ignoring the Nameckian, Vegeta looked the room over. He approached a dresser and opened a drawer, peering inside. Methodically, he took out each and every item in the drawer and inspected it. He repeated this performance with each drawer in the dresser. 

Piccolo got the impression that he was looking for something specific. Then he moved to the closet. He eyed the clothing with a mixture of interest and disgust. "I wear this stuff?" he asked.

Piccolo snorted. "Usually you wear your workout clothes. But rumor has it that you have been seen in something more casual from time to time."

Vegeta shot a glare at Piccolo and turned back to the closet, digging through some shoeboxes, muttering to himself. Apparently not finding what he was looking for, with the agility of the monkey that his race so closely resembled, climbed to the high shelf at the top of the closet. There were some rustling sounds, then a muffled 'ah-ah!'. Vegeta jumped back down, falling into a graceful crouch before straightening.

Piccolo leaned forward to see what Vegeta was holding. It was a small circular white object with a red-tinted lens attached at a ninety-degree angle. Piccolo recognized it immediately.

"A scouter?" he asked.

The prince smirked. "Very good, whatever you are," he said smugly as he fitted it over his ear, the lens covering his left eye.

Piccolo gritted his teeth. "I am a Nameckian, and my name is Piccolo," he said in a dangerous tone…

…which Vegeta ignored. "Whatever," he answered as he tapped the control panel on the earpiece. Lines of symbols in a foreign language scrolled across the tiny screen. 

"Why do you have a scouter?" Piccolo asked, still ticked off. "You haven't needed one for years."

Vegeta looked up, symbols still flowing. "I haven't? Then how do you know if there are strong warriors around?"

"You do it by sensing their ki," Piccolo said, not bothering to keep the smugness out of his voice. The little shit wasn't so great as he thought he was.

Vegeta took off the scouter. "Sensing their ki?" He closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he smirked. "That's how it's done, huh?" 

Piccolo drew a breath. Dammit, he should have known!

The individual who had coined the phrase 'Monkey see, monkey do' must have had Vegeta in mind. The Saiyan prince had the uncanniest ability to see something done once, and do it himself without mistakes. That ugly fusion dance had taken Goku months to learn, and Trunks and Goten an entire afternoon of diligent practice. But Vegeta watched Goku demonstrate it once, then got it right on the second try. 

Piccolo had long figured that that was how the Saiyan prince had the most varied arsenal of all the Z fighters. Vegeta had seen hundreds of different fighting techniques over the years, and had incorporated the most devastating into his own repertoire. Fighting Vegeta more than once, or even once meant that you invariably found yourself on the receiving end of your own types of attacks.

But Vegeta was saying something else, interrupting Piccolo's musings. "But it's more than just an ordinary scouter."

Just then Trunks bursting into the room, arms loaded with clothes before Piccolo could question. "Here you go, father!"

Vegeta scowled. "Don't call me that," he snapped. "My name is Vegeta."

Cocking his head to one side, Trunks blinked. "You don't want me to call you father?" he asked.

"I'm younger than you!" Vegeta growled, his tail lashing in agitation. "I'm not even old enough to father a kid yet." Taking a deep breath he glared at Trunks. "As the prince of the Saiyans, I am ordering you to call me Vegeta, got it?"

"Sure!" Trunks answered cheerfully. This was so cool! Then he held up the clothes he brought. "Here, try this on."

Later, dressed in jeans and running shoes, but keeping his Furious George t-shirt, Vegeta accompanied Trunks on a tour of Capsule Corporation. Trunks showed him the gravity room, the kitchen, the Capsule Corp space ship and various other places of interest. 

Throughout, Piccolo hovered nearby, keeping watch. It became apparent that Vegeta wasn't up to anything overtly sinister. But Piccolo still didn't trust the small prince.

Then Bulma called them into the small, temporary lab. Dr. Briefs was still bedridden, so the blue-haired woman explained that it might be a while before they would be able to return Vegeta to normal. She turned to Piccolo. "I want you to take care of Trunks and Vegeta for a few days. After all, you did such a good job with Trunks and Goten during the Buu Incident."

Piccolo turned an interesting shade of puce. "WHAT!? No way!" 

"That's a great idea!" Trunks exclaimed. Vegeta sneered.

"It sure is!" Bulma agreed cheerfully. "This way, I can oversee the rebuilding of Capsule Corp and get a start on the Regenerator Ray without worrying about what they might be getting into. Besides, its not as if you have anything better to do, isn't that right, Piccolo?" She leveled a dangerous look at the former Demon prince, who sweatdropped. 

"Uh..." he said intelligently.

"Good! Its settled then," Bulma gave Piccolo a victory sign. She turned to Trunks and Vegeta. "Now you two go get packed. And have fun." She grinned and walked away.

Piccolo put a hand over his eyes and groaned. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he swore he could hear Kami chuckle. Nail as usual had nothing to add.

TBC


	4. Basic Instincts

A Killer in Me

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters. Yadda…yadda…yadda.

Warnings: none for now

Disarm you with a smile

And leave you like they left me here

To whither in denial

With the bitterness of one whose left alone

Ohh, the years burn

Disarm by Smashing Pumpkins

Chapter 4

They flew over the sea leaving white ki trails in their wake. Piccolo was in the center with Trunks on his right, and Vegeta on his left. Each of the boys carried a pack containing some clothes and equipment. Piccolo had decided to take the young Saiyans away from populated areas. He wasn't too worried about Trunks, as the half-Saiyan was raised on Earth and would behave accordingly.

But Vegeta…Piccolo knew that the young prince had a tendency to shoot first, and not bother asking questions later. So in an effort to forestall any disasters, the Namekian was taking his charges to his peaceful valley. He shuddered at the thought of Vegeta wreaking havoc at the lookout, and high-powered fights had long ago leveled the place where he had trained little Gohan so many years ago. That left his valley. 

Piccolo resolved not to let the brat prince out of his sight. 

As if he knew that Piccolo had been thinking about him. Vegeta turned to him, his black hair gusting in the wind. "Hey, Namek!" he hollered.

Piccolo gritted his teeth, all too aware that that gesture was becoming a habit. "What?" 

He kept his gaze firmly forward. Vegeta knew damn well that he was Namekian not a Namek.

"Where are we going?"

"We are going to stop by Master Roshi's to drop something off, then we are going to a place where we will stay until Bulma figures out how to get you back to the way you were," Piccolo explained. He didn't say 'back to normal' because grown-up Vegeta wasn't normal by any stretch of the imagination.

"What are we dropping off?" Trunks wanted to know.

Piccolo's gaze never wavered. "We are dropping off something for 18. Apparently she is having a problem with one of her…ah…parts," he finished, praying that neither of the boys asked which part. As soon as Bulma used to the words 'female' and 'parts' in the same sentence, Piccolo ended the conversation. There were some things that Piccolo just didn't want to know about.

Piccolo was in luck. The Kame House came into sight at that time. His sharp eyes could detect several people standing in front of the house, apparently having sensed their approach. Krillen, Yamcha, Tien, Chautzu, and Master Roshi himself, who was holding a mug of beer. They landed soon and Krillen called out a greeting.

"Hey Piccolo! Trunks!" He waved, and then cocked his head to the side. "Who is the kid?"

Vegeta just sneered at them. He was wearing his scouter again, and though the very high ki levels he was reading was disturbing, he would be damned if he showed any fear around these people.

"It's a little Saiyan! You can see his tail!" Yamcha pointed to it in surprise. 

"Who are you calling little?" Vegeta growled, his furry tail lashing from side to side.

"Where'd he come from Piccolo?" Tien asked, his three eyes wide.

Piccolo casually dropped the bomb. "It is Vegeta."

After listening to a few minutes of 'WHAT? NO WAY!'s and How?'s, Piccolo raised a 

hand for silence. He then went on to explain what had happened in the lab and subsequent events that led up to Piccolo's current task of keeping the Saiyan prince out of trouble.

"Who are these people?" Vegeta wanted to know, his tail curling up behind him like a furry question mark.

Introductions were made. In the end, Vegeta was as unimpressed with them as he was with everything else. Then an unpleasant thought occurred to him. "Don't tell me that I let these people hang around me when I was older," he nearly begged Trunks in an undertone.

Trunks grinned. "Naw, you always stayed away from them," he assured his father.

Relieved, Vegeta smirked.

As the adults talked, Vegeta grew bored. He saw a brown rock and walked over to it. His scouter came to life and gave it a battle power of .02. Vegeta's eyebrows rose. He put out a hand and touched to rock, which shivered under his fingers. He frowned and tilted his head to the side. He wondered what would happen if he fired up a ki ball and blasted it. He was just starting to form one when Trunks wandered over to see what was up. 

"What is this thing?" Vegeta asked.

"That's the turtle," Trunks explained in his usual helpful-not-very-way. "He's hiding in his shell."

"Hiding?" Vegeta asked.

Trunks nodded, and leaned over to whisper to Vegeta. "He's scared of you."

Vegeta blinked, then smirked again. "Smart turtle," he commented. 

Meanwhile, the adults were still talking.

"So, he's stuck like that?" Master Roshi mused, taking a long drink of beer as he studied the pint-sized prince. 

As Piccolo nodded, he did not miss the amused look that passed between Yamcha and Tien. Piccolo could not blame them. Vegeta was the most obnoxious, condescending, rude and arrogant person on the face of the earth. And now he was a kid with a power level so drastically reduced it was below all the Z fighters. 

"Until Bulma can rebuild her dad's invention and restore him." Piccolo subtly reminded the two fighters. As tempting as it was to take the little twerp down a peg or three, Vegeta would not be like this forever. And when he was back to full strength, he would not be happy about any humiliation done to him in his vulnerable state. 

Luckily, both Yamcha and Tien seemed to catch onto Piccolo's warning. At that moment, 18 stepped out o the house, with Marron in her arms. She raised her cold gaze to Piccolo in inquiry.

"Bulma called and said you were bringing me a package?" she said in her usual cold voice.

Turning even greener, Piccolo held out the package. She took it without comment. In her arms Marron had noticed the two boys on the beach. With a squeal of delight, she squirmed out of her mother's arms and ran over to Trunks and Vegeta, who were still studying the unfortunate turtle. 

Android 18 saw where she was running to, and followed her daughter. She did not know the strange boy with Trunks, though he seemed familiar. She was not worried that anything would happen to Marron, but there was something about the boy that she didn't trust.

At that time, Vegeta looked up and saw the android. Then his scouter came to life. 

As line after line of data scrolled over the tiny screen, his eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth. His tail fluffed in agitation, seemingly twice as thick with all the fur standing on end. "What are you?" he growled.

All conversation between the others broke off and they watched Vegeta and 18 engage in a stare-down. Of course, Vegeta was doomed to lose, as 18 didn't need to blink. The only movement for a span of heartbeats was the continuous scrolling of strange characters across the screen of Vegeta's scouter.

It was Trunks who broke the tension. "Father?" he asked. "What is it?"

Vegeta blinked, then sneered, but the trademark sneer was tainted by something that 

Piccolo couldn't put a name on. "Let me kill it, it needs killing."

18 raised an eyebrow when Trunks had called the boy 'father'. "You just called this kid 'father'," she informed him.

Trunks nodded. "He is my father," he non-explained.

Piccolo stepped in, with Yamcha, Tien and Krillen right behind him. "Vegeta, this is android 18, she is not your enemy."

The prince glanced at Piccolo, but did not immediately relax his stance. Something deep inside of him insisted that this mixture of flesh and machinery was an abomination and should be destroyed. That feeling was so strong that Vegeta was nearly shaking. But as he read the readings from his scouter, he realized that he was not nearly powerful enough to eliminate the android. Ignoring the screaming of his instincts, he straightened.

"Fine, are you done?" he asked, to bothering to mask the loathing he felt for the blond android. Something inside of him was insisting that he should attack with all his power and destroy her. He was smart enough to realize that it was instinct and fought it as best he could.

Piccolo too was disturbed. He wanted to figure out what was happening between the Saiyan and the android, but now was not the time. "Let's go," he told Vegeta and Trunks. With a final wave, they left Kame House and soared to Piccolo's valley.

Trunks too, was bothered. "Hey, father. What was that all about?" 

He was so lost in his thoughts that Vegeta didn't care that Trunks had called him father. 

All he knew was the urge to turn around and attack. 

And he didn't know why.

TBC


	5. Tag! You're it!

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ. Yadda...yadda...yadda.  
  
Warning: None  
  
Author's note: This fic was not originally intended to be a humorous one. That's why I put it under action/adventure category. It's just impossible to write DBZ without humor though, especially when Vegeta is involved. Oh, yeah! A plot is born, finally!  
  
  
  
A Killer in Me  
  
Part 5  
  
  
  
The remote valley was still. The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly. There was no sound except for the constant roar of the waterfall. Once in a while, a lone bird chirped once or twice, but for that occasional exception, no creatures stirred. It was if the valley itself was tensed in anticipation.  
  
Floating near the waterfall, the huge green Nameckian sat cross-legged, conveniently ignoring all laws pertaining to gravity. Under his white turban, his eyes were closed in concentration. The only thing that moved was his long white cape that fluttered in the breeze.  
  
Abruptly his eyes opened and swept the valley. Piccolo's eyes rested briefly on the sleeping figure under the trees on the nearby bank. Trunks' purple hair stirred in the soft breeze, but the boy wasn't the cause of the disturbance that pulled Piccolo out of his meditation. Abruptly, he looked up.  
  
Gohan and Goten were descending rapidly from the sky. Both of them were about to call a cheerful greeting to Piccolo, when the Namekian put his finger to his lips, and pointed to the sleeping boy nearby.  
  
Their eyes widened, but they waved instead of calling out. They dropped down to Piccolo's level and halted.  
  
"Hey, Piccolo! How is it going?" Gohan grinned, his short black hair stirred in the breeze. He and Goten had sneaked out while Chi-Chi was off getting groceries.  
  
"Fine," he replied shortly. "Though it seems that I have found out why Saiyans send their children away to other planets, rather than raise them themselves."  
  
"Oh?" Gohan raised an eyebrow. He looked around at the serene valley. All seemed to be peaceful. "Where is Vegeta?"  
  
As if on cue, the little Saiyan prince burst straight up out of the pool directly below them, scattering the Z-fighters in all directions, because literally on his tail was one of the largest fish that Gohan had ever seen. As he rocketed into the air, Vegeta looked intently down at the fish with his trademark smirk firmly in place, despite of the hundreds of razor sharp teeth inches away from ending his second childhood.  
  
Arms spread wide and wet hair falling forward over his face, the little Saiyan abruptly reversed direction. He kicked the fish under its massive jaw, sending it arcing back toward the pool. Moving at super speed, the little prince beat it to the water and with one mighty punch, sent the massive fish crashing into the trees on the riverbank.  
  
The fish flopped around, crushing several trees in the process, until a single powerful ki blast through its head ended its struggles. The commotion woke Trunks up, who blinked sleepily and stretched. Ignoring his audience, a sopping Vegeta landed near the carcass and with efficient ki blasts, began to gut it.  
  
"At least he knows how to feed himself," Piccolo muttered loud enough for Gohan to hear, who stifled a laugh. The demi-Saiyan recalled with fondness the year he had spent with Piccolo, getting ready for Vegeta and Nappa's arrival. Though he would never admit it out loud, or at least where his mother would hear, those were the best days of his life. He had always suspected it had been Piccolo that left the apples, but the Nameckian would not fess up.  
  
"He was always very independent," Gohan agreed. "Seems to be true even at this age."  
  
Piccolo grunted noncommitally.  
  
When he was done, Vegeta stepped back and surveyed his work. Satisfied, he deigned to glance at the onlookers. Seeing them watching his activities, he scowled. "Get your own," he snapped.  
  
Trunks, seeing Gohan and Goten nearby, walked over. "Hey! What's up?"  
  
"We're just visiting," Goten chirped happily. He wanted to talk to Vegeta. He had viewed the aloof Saiyan prince as sort of a surrogate father for years, until his own father had come back from the dead during the fight with Majin Buu. Now Vegeta was his own age! Goten thought that was to coolest thing ever.  
  
They all watched Vegeta fire a ki blast at a pile of wood and soon the clearing was filled with the aroma of cooking fresh fish. Mouths watering, Trunks and Goten looked at each other. Simultaneously they grinned and, still fully clothed, jumped into the pool of water to catch their own meal.  
  
Gohan grinned and turning to Piccolo, asked, "Seriously, Piccolo. How is it going?"  
  
"So far, he hasn't gotten into too much trouble. Luckily his power levels are very low compared to when he was grown up. He seems to be adjusting to his surroundings."  
  
"Can the surroundings adjust to him?" Gohan asked.  
  
Piccolo snorted. "However, there was nearly an incident at Kame House earlier."  
  
"Kame House?" Gohan echoed.  
  
"Yeah, we dropped off a package for 18. Vegeta didn't react too well to her," Piccolo said.  
  
Gohan thought that over. Over in the pool, loud splashes and shrieks of laughter were heard. "Do you think he remembers her and their fight?" he asked finally. Vegeta never mentioned it, but that fight was the bitterest defeat for the Saiyan prince. She not only broke his arm, but nearly his pride. The prince never forgave the android. They learned to tolerate each other as time went on, but only just.  
  
Over in the pool, a fish suddenly launched itself onto the bank, followed closely by a soaking wet Trunks and Goten. They dragged it over to where Vegeta was sitting cross-legged, wolfing down the meat with relish. The prince looked up at them as they joined him, his expression was almost tolerant. Soon, all three were engaged in an eating contest.  
  
Piccolo shook his head, his cape fluttered in the breeze. "I don't think so," he said thoughtfully. "He doesn't seem to remember anything at all about being here on Earth. And so far he has reacted with surprising maturity to everything else he has come across. This was something else, almost," Piccolo hesitated, "instinctive."  
  
Eyebrows raised, Gohan chewed on that. "Instinctive," he murmured. A thought struck him. "Do you remember when we first fought the androids?" Piccolo nodded. "Remember how adamant Vegeta was about fighting them? He was obsessed with destroying them, and he was so focused on that, that he didn't even care about putting Bulma and baby Trunks in danger. I have never seen Vegeta so determined to destroy anything, even Freiza or Majin Buu."  
  
Piccolo nodded again. "I remember," he said. He wondered if something had happened to little Vegeta to make him hate androids, or if it was something else, something less personal.  
  
Gohan evidently had been thinking along the same lines. "I wonder if it's a Vegeta thing, or a Saiyan thing," he mused.  
  
Hearing Gohan, Piccolo smiled to himself. If Gohan was the strongest fighter alive, he was also one of the smartest too. Piccolo was as proud as a parent of the half-Saiyan. Then he gave full attention to what Gohan has said. "Goku didn't react like that," he pointed out.  
  
"True," Gohan agreed, "but father is not a typical Saiyan," he pointed back.  
  
"True," Piccolo returned. "We don't have enough experience with normal Saiyans to say for sure either. Although I would never qualify Vegeta as normal either, come to think of it."  
  
"We could ask Vegeta," Gohan suggested.  
  
No sooner said than done. They walked over to where boys were sitting, still stuffing their faces in typical Saiyan fashion. Vegeta looked up, his cheeks bulging with fish. He swallowed. "What?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"What happened earlier with you and the android?" Piccolo asked bluntly.  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about," was the reply. The prince took another bite of fish.  
  
"You almost attacked 18 with no provocation, Vegeta." Piccolo growled. "Why?"  
  
Trunks and Goten looked at the small prince, both of them with their mouths full.  
  
Vegeta rose to his feet, his tail fluffing slightly. "That thing is an abomination and should be eliminated," his eyes narrowed.  
  
"Why do you say that?" Piccolo asked. "She hasn't done anything to you." Piccolo knew that not really true, but Vegeta didn't.  
  
Vegeta fumbled for a reply. He didn't know why he had felt such a stark need to wipe that thing out of existence. It was deep inside, part of his being. Feeling cornered, he fell back on his usual defense. It worked equally well with annoying Saiyans and other aliens. "I am the Saiyan prince and don't have to explain myself to the likes of you," he snarled. Abandoning his meal, he stalked off into the woods.  
  
"Well, that went over about how you would expect," Gohan commented. "I guess Vegeta is Vegeta, no matter what age he is."  
  
Trunks and Goten stood up. "What's going on?" Trunks asked, wiping his mouth on the back of his arm.  
  
"That's what we were trying to find out," Gohan answered, still looked at the area where Vegeta disappeared.  
  
Trunks thought it over. "C'mon, Goten!" Trunks grabbed Goten's arm and they rushed into the woods after Vegeta.  
  
Gohan and Piccolo looked at each other, shrugged, and then sat on the ground for a brainstorming session.  
  
  
  
Vegeta stalked through the woods, looking for something to vent his anger on. Trees were no good, as they didn't fight back. Animals, sensing the violent prince, got out of the way in a hurry. He was just about to take off into the atmosphere when he heard Trunks and Goten run up behind him.  
  
"Hey! Fa…I mean Vegeta! Wait up!" Trunks called.  
  
Vegeta stopped and crossed his arms, but didn't face them. "What do you want?" he asked, his tail lashing from side to side.  
  
Trunks and Goten looked at each other. Identical grins formed on their faces at the same time. Goten reached out and slapped Vegeta hard on his back, making him stagger forward. "Tag! You're it!" he shouted as a surprised Vegeta whirled around in rage.  
  
Laughing, the two demi-Saiyans took off running. For long seconds, Vegeta stood stock still, his teeth clenched as well as his fists. Then, a slow smirk curled his lips. "So, you want to play, huh?" he said. Reaching up to activate his scouter, he stretched his sense. This would be interesting.  
  
Goten and Trunks stopped deep in the woods, panting slightly. In tune with each other, they held their breaths and closed their eyes, trying to focus. Each keyed their senses to their utmost; trying to anticipate which direction Vegeta would attack from. Long moments dragged by and nothing happened.  
  
"I can't feel anything, Trunks," Goten whispered.  
  
"He's coming, trust me," Trunks assured his partner. He knew his father, and Vegeta could not back down from a challenge.  
  
"Then where is he?" Goten asked.  
  
"Right above you!" Vegeta answered as he leaped down out of a tree above the two boys.  
  
Too late they whirled and looked up. Vegeta landed on top of them and they all collapsed in a sprawling heap of arms and legs and a tail.  
  
"You're too slow!" Vegeta jeered from on top. "Tag, you're it!" and leaped away, back into the trees once more.  
  
Wobbling, the two demi-Saiyans climbed to their feet, spitting grass and rubbing their sore heads. "C'mon Goten!" Trunks ordered. As fast as they could, they climbed after the agile little prince. It was turning into more of a game of hide and seek, rather than tag. But as an adult, Vegeta never 'played' with his son. Trunks was determined to milk this opportunity for all it was worth.  
  
High in the trees, Vegeta grinned. His opponents were unable to sense his battle power because he was keeping it suppressed, using only his natural strength. He didn't even try to sense their ki either for the same reason. But his scouter was set to locate all life forms and was picking them up on infrared. With this advantage, he was able to keep track of their movements.  
  
Seeing them starting to close in, he leaped to another tree, then another. Relying more on stealth then speed, he led them in a merry chase around the perimeter of the valley. Vegeta was so caught up in the game; he failed to realize that he had inadvertently boxed himself in a cul-del-sac. Swearing to himself, he turned around, trying to judge just how soon his opponents would reach his position. He ran back to the opening, just as Trunks and Goten appeared.  
  
For a split second, they all stared at each other. Then predatory grins spread across the two boys face. Vegeta feinted right, and then broke to the left. Goten, falling for the feint, stumbled across Trunks' path, interfering with him. This gave Vegeta room to dive around them and take off at top speed. Smirking, he looked back at Trunks and Goten in hot pursuit. He turned forward again just in time to see something blur into existence right in front of him.  
  
He smashed face first into the broad chest at top speed, eliciting an 'oof!' from Goku.  
  
Vegeta didn't even have time to draw a breath before Trunks and Goten, unable to stop, plowed into them and with their combined momentum, sent them all sprawling to the ground.  
  
For a few seconds they lay in a pile, Vegeta sandwiched between Trunks, Goten and Goku, trying to draw air into his crushed lungs. Finally, he managed to gain enough air to gasp, "Get off of me!"  
  
Moaning, Trunks and Goten rolled off, flopping to the ground on either side of them, leaving Vegeta lying on top of Goku. "What happened?" he groaned, reaching down to feel if his tail was broken.  
  
"Dad!" Goten sat up, smiling at Goku, who was sitting up, still holding a dazed Vegeta.  
  
"Goku?" Trunks asked.  
  
"Where did you come from?" Vegeta asked, willing the world to stop spinning. Unconsciously he curled his tail around Goku's arm in an effort to ground himself.  
  
"I came to get Goten and Gohan. Chi-Chi will be home soon," Goku explained.  
  
Goten shuddered at how his mother would react if she found out where they were.  
  
"How did you get here?" Vegeta asked, his head finally clearing.  
  
"Instant transmission," Goku replied cheerfully. He looked down where Vegeta's tail was still around his forearm, feeling the soft fur. He recalled his own tail with a wave of sad nostalgia.  
  
Vegeta shook himself and climbed off of Goku. For an instant no one said anything, then Goku cleared his throat. "We should find Gohan and go home."  
  
They walked back to the waterfall, each of them lost in their own thoughts. As they entered the clearing, they all stopped as if poleaxed.  
  
Piccolo and Gohan were standing off to the side, tensed and alert. Neither of them looked at the group because sitting in the middle of the clearing, next to the pool where the boys had been fishing, was a large spaceship.  
  
"Looks like we have company," Goku observed.  
  
TBC 


	6. Fruits and Vegetas

Disclaimer: I do not own the DBZ characters. Yadda…Yadda…Yadda.  
  
Warnings: Little Vegeta, Trunks and Goten.  
  
Archive: Of course!  
  
Thanks go to Stormy, Maria and Stacey for encouragement when it was needed.  
  
  
  
A Killer In Me  
  
Part 6  
  
There was a spaceship sitting in the middle of the clearing, next to the pool.  
  
It didn't look anything like one of Freiza's circular ships, or even the Saiyan spherical pods. Instead, it was oddly boxlike, sitting on jointed legs. There were absolutely no aerodynamic features. There were no visible windows or doors. Yet it was unmistakably a spaceship.  
  
"It looks like we have company," Goku said.  
  
"Your powers of observation are truly stunning, Kakarott," Vegeta sneered as he reached up and tapped the controls on his scouter. Strange alien symbols flowed over the tiny screen. As he read the information, Vegeta scowled.  
  
"What is it?" Piccolo asked.  
  
"The ship itself is of unknown origin. Of the 2,567 types of ships programmed into the scouter, it matches none of them. The hull of the ship consists of a unique mixture of carbon and steel, and another alloy that my scouter cannot identify," he reported, adjusting the scouter's controls. "Infrared, radar and ultraviolet readings are unable to penetrate the hull, so we have no idea of whatever is in there. And electromagnetic readings are off the scale," he added offhandedly.  
  
Goku and Goten blinked. But Trunks had practically grown up in Dr. Briefs' lab and understood some of it, as did Piccolo and Gohan.  
  
"Can anyone sense anything?" Piccolo asked, having tried and having no luck whatsoever.  
  
Goku and the others shook their heads. "We didn't even hear it land," Goku said.  
  
"Piccolo did," Gohan grimaced. "It was very sub-sonic. We didn't see it until it was on the ground. Then it sort of rippled into existence."  
  
All talk ceased as a ramp lowered from the bottom of the ship and two beings strolled down and out onto the grass.  
  
They were humanoid, rather chunky but not fat. Both wore casual clothes, not armor and they didn't carry any visible weapons. One had white shoulder length hair; the other had yellow hair that was closely cut to its head. Neither were very tall, but taller than Vegeta had been as an adult. They each wore what looked to be a scouter and one carried a black box-device in one hand. They seemed to be discussing something important.  
  
"The buggers should be around here somewhere," the one with white hair was saying.  
  
"You'd better be right," the other snapped impatiently  
  
"Of course I am!" said the first, sounding insulted. "And what with the rumors and all, this is the only place they could be." They looked up abruptly, seeing the Z fighters were observing them.  
  
"Hullo!" the white haired one greeted the cheerfully. "Nice place. Do you live around here much?" He paused briefly, eyeing the Z fighters. "I was just saying to my friend here that this seemed to be a nice planet, isn't that right?" he turned to the yellow haired one who snorted and rolled his eyes.  
  
Goku returned the greeting with equal cheer. "Thanks, we like it here."  
  
Piccolo spoke up from beside Gohan. "Who are you?" He was wary of any alien life forms. In his experience very few were what they seemed to be.  
  
The white haired one slapped his forehead. "Oh, pardon my manners! I am Kiwi. This is my partner Papaya," he gestured to the yellow haired one. "Who are you?"  
  
"You can call me Piccolo," the Nameckian rumbled.  
  
"I'm Goku!" Goku grinned. "Those are my sons Gohan and Goten," he pointed to them respectively. Gohan nodded politely, Goten waved.  
  
"Trunks!" Trunks flashed a victory sign.  
  
All eyes turned to Vegeta. He glared back, his arms folder over his chest and remaining stubbornly silent.  
  
Goku sighed. "And Vegeta," he finished.  
  
"Pleased to meetcha!" Kiwi laughed.  
  
"So what are you doing here on Earth?" Piccolo asked. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was not quite kosher with these two.  
  
"We are here to find some Saiyans!" Kiwi beamed. Piccolo decided he didn't trust them any further than, well…he didn't trust them.  
  
Goku scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'd say that you found some."  
  
Two sets of eyebrows shot up. "Really?" Kiwi exclaimed. "How smashing!" He looked around eagerly. "Uh…where?"  
  
"Us, you idiot," Vegeta snapped irritably. He had always had a hard time dealing with simpletons. "We are Saiyans," he snapped pointing to Goku, Gohan and himself.  
  
"You are Saiyans? Well, then, I'd say we came to the right spot. Don't you agree Papaya?" Kiwi turned to his companion.  
  
Papaya nodded, his eyes studied Vegeta almost hungrily. Vegeta glared back, his tail snapping from side to side betraying his agitation. Something in the alien's gaze made Piccolo uneasy. Without realizing it, he edged closer to Vegeta.  
  
Kiwi beamed. "Ah, yes, I see. There's the little one's tail." He turned to Goku, and frowned. "Where is yours?"  
  
Goku shook his head sadly. Being around Vegeta made him long for his tail again. "It was removed permanently when I was young," he said.  
  
The two aliens frowned at each other. But when they turned back, the frowns were gone. "Ah, that's a shame," Kiwi sympathized.  
  
Piccolo had enough. "What are you?" he asked.  
  
They looked at each other again. "We are Tsufuru-jins," Papaya said.  
  
Vegeta's eyebrows shot up. "No way," he said flatly.  
  
Kiwi grinned. "Way."  
  
The Z fighters turned to the brat prince. "I take it you know these people?" Gohan asked.  
  
"Not personally," Vegeta scowled. "But according to the history of Vegetasei, the Tsufuru-jin also lived on Vegetasei. The Saiyans defeated them and became the rulers of the planet. They were all killed when Vegetasei blew up."  
  
Kiwi smiled. It was a knowing smile, and not at all pleasant. "That's an interesting version of history, little one," he said. "But not entirely accurate."  
  
"What do you mean?" Goku asked, scratching his head.  
  
"The Tsufuru-jin were a race of extremely high intelligence. Their technology was without parallel. They ruled several quadrants of the galaxy for a countless millennium. The Tsufuru-jins inhabiting the planet Vegetasei, as you called it, were a colony of scientists who were sent there to study the indigenous population. They were working on an experimental procedure of genetic manipulation when the Saiyans destroyed them."  
  
Piccolo frowned, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Were the Saiyans involved in these experiments?"  
  
"Of course! They were the objects of them." Kiwi admitted cheerfully. "The Saiyans were a very primitive race, still living in caves and wearing animal skins. They had no technology, or system of writing. All they did was fight, eat and mate. But they held a vast potential. The Tsufuru-jin rulers sent the gene techs to create them the strongest fighters in the universe."  
  
"Why would a race that was so technologically superior need to create warriors?" Gohan asked.  
  
"A powerful race, such as the Tsufuru-jin, tend to make powerful enemies," Kiwi said mysteriously. "And sometimes technology can't take the place of a living warrior."  
  
"So you needed the Saiyans to fight for you?" Piccolo asked.  
  
Papaya scowled and elbowed his partner. "This is taking too long. Test them and be done." At those words, the Z fighters glanced at each other and immediately took up defensive positions, except Goku, who still stood at ease.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Gohan asked.  
  
"We are going to test the Saiyans for certain genetic coding." Kiwi said seriously, his cheerful demeanor falling away until he looked as grim as his companion.  
  
"And you think that we'll just sit still and let you do this?" Vegeta growled.  
  
Papaya laughed, it was a harsh, ugly sound. "Yes, as a matter of fact, we do."  
  
Kiwi raised the box in his hand and touched a button. Immediately a sound filled the clearing that was so intense it went right through the heads of the Z fighters. Piccolo, with his ultra-sensitive hearing went down first. Gohan tried to go to him, but didn't make a step before he was overcome. The two full-blooded Saiyans took a heartbeat longer, but in the end it was the same result.  
  
When he was sure that they were all unconscious, Kiwi turned off the sound and climbed back into the ship. It was just a scout ship. Their main ship was still in high orbit around the planet, cloaked from probing satellites.  
  
The Tsufuru-jin called Papaya looked around, puzzled. "I thought there were more of them," he said.  
  
"There were," Kiwi called down to his companion from the spaceship.  
  
"So where did they go?" Papaya catching the metallic bands that Kiwi tossed to him.  
  
"Who cares?" the white-haired Tsufuru-jin shrugged re-emerging from the ship. "All we need are the Saiyans. Ok, hurry and get the dampeners on them. They are very powerful and I for one do not want to face a pissed off Saiyan with no defense."  
  
Piccolo groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. His head pounded as he forced himself to concentrate on the sun. It hadn't moved very far, so Piccolo figured that it had only been a few minutes since he'd lost consciousness. He tried to move, but found that his arms were bound to his sides by strange metallic bands. His legs were strapped together as well. He tired to exert his ki to break the bands, but something was interfering with his control.  
  
Through a series of contortions, he was able to sit up. He quickly noticed that the others were in similar positions. The Tsufuru-jins were just finishing putting the bands on Gohan, and Piccolo cursed to himself when he saw how easily they had all been captured. Then he noticed that Trunks and Goten were missing. A small hope flared in his heart, and he quickly schooled his expression to neutrality.  
  
Soon they had all revived. Each of them was staring at their captors, their expressions ranging from outrage to concern. Even Goku lost his normal goofy look. Piccolo was grimly pleased to see that the tall Saiyan was taking the situation seriously.  
  
"Will you hurry up, Kiwi!" Papaya called to his partner who was once again rummaging around in the ship.  
  
"I'm coming. Hold your pants on," was the irritable reply. "This is very delicate equipment and can't be handled like a sack of potatoes, you know." Kiwi backed down the ramp, dragging a huge black box. Papaya helped him carry it to where the captives were and they set it down gently. Kiwi opened the box and began to set up strange machines, mutter to himself.  
  
"What's in there?" Gohan asked, craning his neck to get a better look.  
  
"Just some equipment," Kiwi shrugged offhandedly. He took something out of the box and approached Goku.  
  
Goku eyed him calmly, even though he was unable to move. The bands might have prevented him from moving, or even utilizing his ki, but they all knew that there was little the Tsufuru-jin could do to him that would harm him.  
  
Kiwi crouched down next to Goku, whose eyes unexpectedly widened in absolute horror. He immediately started screaming and squirming, desperately trying to get away from Kiwi, and what he was holding. He made such a racket that the other captives flinched.  
  
Papaya hurried over. "What in bloody blazes are you doing to him?" he demanded.  
  
Kiwi looked up, embarrassed. "Nothing!" he said. "I was just taking a tissue sample when he freaked out!" He held up a syringe with a needle attached to it.  
  
Piccolo groaned, and Gohan looked embarrassed. Vegeta just looked mystified.  
  
Papaya looked over at Piccolo. Piccolo shrugged. "He's scared of needles."  
  
"What the hell?" the prince asked in annoyance. "Kakarrott, you fool! Knock it off! You are embarrassing the Saiyan race with this cowardly behavior!" he shouted.  
  
"Nah…nah…nah…needle!!!!" was all Goku could say.  
  
"Good lord!" Papaya said, rolling his eyes. "Did you get the sample?" he asked Kiwi who was backing away from the hysterical Saiyan, wide-eyed.  
  
"Uh, yeah." Kiwi went back to his black box while the others shook their heads. He injected the tissue sample into a much smaller box and set it down watching the small screen on the top of the box intently.  
  
"Well?" Papaya asked impatiently.  
  
"Hmmm. Hey! We're in luck here. According to the genetic coding, we seem to have a 2.bErs class three. He's descended from the second set of trials all right. The gene sectors B34 through R65 are a virtual match, as are K23 though T12. I must say this is pretty exciting. I had never thought we would run across a real class three Saiyan. It's a miracle that any are alive." Kiwi went on babbling excitedly.  
  
"So what does that mean?" Papaya wanted to know. It was obvious that Kiwi was the scientist of the mercenary pair.  
  
Piccolo was glad he'd asked, because he wanted to know too. He could tell that Gohan was fascinated as well. Vegeta was watching them intently, his scouter still recording data. Goku was starting to calm down.  
  
Kiwi turned to his partner, his eyes glowing with excitement. "According to the data sent to one of the main colonies, there were two different types of genetic coding developed in the experimentation. The first one, known as the s.Prou sub-t, was the first real success, that resulted in extremely powerful Saiyans. But there were some major drawbacks. They would reach their full potential at a very young age; too young as it turned out, leaving them prone to extreme mental instability. In other words, not only were they insanely powerful, they were flat out insane."  
  
An image of Brolli flashed through Piccolo's mind. Something told him that Brolli had been an s.Prou sub-t.  
  
Kiwi went on. "The second set of coding of the genetic enhancements for the 2.bErs were supposedly enhanced strength and stamina, much like the s.Prou sub-t's. But they reached maximum ki potential at a much later age. And unlike the s.Prou sub-t's, they are much more mentally stable and even have a low-grade telepathic ability. This one could be very useful," he concluded.  
  
"Excellent!" Papaya gloated, rubbing his hands together. "Test the next one."  
  
Kiwi crouched next to Gohan. They both eyed each other warily. The Tsufuru- jin gingerly drew a tissue sample and they both heaved a sigh of relief when it was over.  
  
Checking the sample, Kiwi's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "He's not a pure Saiyan!"  
  
"Really?" his partner came over to study the readings over Kiwi's shoulder. "Then he's no good to us."  
  
"True, but we may be able to learn something from these samples."  
  
Kiwi then turned to Vegeta, who was scowling at him. "You're going to pay for this," the prince promised.  
  
The Tsufuru-jin ignored that. After he got the sample, and a warning growl from Vegeta, he returned to the box. Papaya kicked the grass, impatient to get going with their prize.  
  
Kiwi scowled as the results flashed on the screen. "What the?" he muttered, shaking his head and resetting the test to run again.  
  
Papaya wandered over. "What's the problem?" he asked, his patience nearly gone.  
  
"These results are strange. They do not match either the 2.bErs or the s.Prou sub-t genetic coding. There are some similarities between the cub's and the adult's, but look here," he pointed to a set of readings. "These are completely different here and here." He pointed to other sets of readings. "I don't understand. Unless," he trailed off as he leaned forward and reset the testing yet again. This time he added some more command parameters. As the results flashed on the screen, he drew a deep breath. "By all that is holy, I wouldn't have believed it was possible!"  
  
"What?" Papaya was almost dancing with impatience. Piccolo could feel his insides churning with dread, and by the looks of Goku and Gohan, they too were worried.  
  
"This one is a v.Geta class one!" Kiwi whispered in awe.  
  
"A what?" Gohan asked.  
  
Turning to Gohan, Kiwi explained, his voice tight with excitement. "Right before the colony was destroyed, rumor has it they were working on a radically upgraded genetic code. There was never any indication that the genetic coding was successful before the destruction. They must have completed it just as the colony fell."  
  
"So what is the difference between a v.Geta class one and a 2.bErs, or whatever?" Gohan asked, fascinated, ignoring Vegeta's indignant glare.  
  
"We were able to salvage some of the data, but there are still huge gaps in what we know about the v.Geta type class one. We don't know how the gene techs managed to engineer much of what is supposed to make up a v.Geta, but they tagged the code in a very unmistakable way. That's the only reason we could even figure out what the cub is. According to the prospectus, the v.Geta class one was designed with a higher intelligence and telepathic abilities, reaching the point to where the individual could be mentally bonded to any number of Saiyans at once. The goal was to create a single Saiyan that had the ability to communicate with any and all Saiyans. This individual was to direct and coordinate battles across vast distances."  
  
Piccolo glanced at Vegeta who was glaring defiantly at the Tsufuru-jins. He wondered if the prince had felt his people being decimated when Freiza destroyed Vegetasei. He hoped that was not the case, but suspected that it might very well be. His heart briefly went out to the arrogant little prince.  
  
"What else?" Goku asked. He too was fascinated by the lesson. Vegeta had not been inclined to talk about their home planet except in short, bitter explanations.  
  
"Of the three types of genetic codes, the v.Geta class one was supposedly the slowest to reach their full potential, well into their prime, but they were designed to be the most powerful by far." Kiwi said. "You see, it was discovered that the earlier full potential was reached, the weaker that potential was, and an increased danger of mental instability."  
  
Piccolo and Goku exchanged glances. This news might have helped alleviate some of Vegeta's frustration as an adult. Vegeta had always felt that he was the most powerful Saiyan, and now it seemed that his claims were validated. It hadn't been his fault that he wasn't able to become stronger than Goku over the years; his body was designed to grow more powerful, more gradually. Piccolo wondered if they should tell the prince this when Bulma restored him to his actual age.  
  
Gohan interrupted Piccolo's musing with another question. "But what good is waiting so long for full potential? Wouldn't they become too old too soon after they reached their full power to use it to any real effect?"  
  
Kiwi laughed in delight. "No! That's the beauty of it," he exclaimed. "The geneticists were trying to interrupt the cell degradation! And from the looks of some of these readings, it looks like they succeeded!"  
  
Now all the listeners were confused. "Would you speak plainly? We aren't all techno-geeks," Papaya snapped irritably.  
  
Rubbing his chin, Kiwi thought a moment. "Ok, it's like this. Each cell in your body can replace itself only so many times. After that certain set number of times, the cells start to die. Thus old age set in. But, the gene techs were able to turn off the counter. After prime was reached, the cells would continue to replicate indefinitely."  
  
Piccolo stared in astonishment. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"  
  
The Tsufuru-jin nodded, grinning insanely. "Yup, the cub will grow up, but not grow old."  
  
Silence fell on the clearing. They all just stared to Vegeta, who had closed his eyes. "I can't believe it," Gohan murmured.  
  
"And if he were to continue his life without being killed, his power would continue to grow indefinitely as well. There is literally no limit to how strong this cub will grow up to be!" Kiwi said ecstatically.  
  
Vegeta sat still, listening to them talk about him like he was some piece of livestock and bitterly resented it.  
  
"Is there anything else about him we should know?" Piccolo asked somewhat hesitantly. So far what they had learned was frightening. There was Vegeta, who had the dubious honor of being the most destructive being on earth, and now they found out not only was he immortal, but also had the potential to become much, much stronger than Goku.  
  
"Oh yes, lots of things, but I'm afraid that time is short. We must be going now." Kiwi said, packing up his equipment back into the box. "Grab the cub. We'll need to run a lot more tests if we are going to figure out what the gene techs did to him. You know, I'll bet we'll get quite wealthy off that information. Hell, we might even put him up for auction. Can you imagine how much some governments will pay for him? We'll be richer than god!"  
  
Papaya picked up the struggling Vegeta. "C'mon cub. You're our ticket to glory. Stop that now," he said as Vegeta tried to bite him.  
  
"Let go of me this instant!" Vegeta hollered, panic at the edge of his voice.  
  
"NO!" Goku shouted, struggling against the metallic bands. He pulled so hard that the bands began to ripple and contort.  
  
"Leave him alone!" Gohan added, struggling like his father.  
  
"Kiwi, will you shut them up?" Papaya said as he struggled to get the squirming Vegeta on board and safely secured.  
  
The white-haired Tsufuru-jin touched that button on his black box and once more that horrible sound filled the clearing, rendering the Z fighters unconscious.  
  
Just as Goku was falling back into the black pit of unconsciousness, he saw the look in Vegeta's eyes and felt real fear well up in him. The prince looked furious and terrified at the same time. But there was more: there was an awful knowing in them.  
  
'He's been through this before' Goku thought, and then thought no more.  
  
TBC 


	7. In the Right Place

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any or its characters. Any questions?  
  
Warnings: Angst,  
  
Archive: FFN and Stormy. Ask and you shall receive  
  
A Killer in Me  
  
Part 7  
  
Piccolo groaned and once more fought for consciousness, trying to get past the ringing in his skull. "When I get my hands on those Tsufuru-jins..." he opened his eyes and looked around. Goku and Gohan were rousing as well. As for the spaceship, that was gone, and Vegeta with it. He sat up, free from the restraints. "Are you guys ok?" he asked, wincing. Loud noises went straight through his head. Or any noise for that matter.  
  
Gohan nodded, and Goku climbed unsteadily to his feet. He looked around. "They're gone," he said unnecessarily. "We have to find them." He said, determination hardening his voice.  
  
"How?" Gohan asked, now on his feet as well.  
  
"Can you sense Vegeta and use your Instant Transmission technique?" Piccolo asked, shaking the grass out of his cape.  
  
Goku put two fingers to his forehead and concentrated for a few minutes. He shook his head, scowling in frustration. "There is something blocking me," he said.  
  
"Its probably whatever makes up the hull of that ship," Gohan thought out loud.  
  
"We couldn't sense any life forces through it before. That must be why you can't sense Vegeta's ki now, and if you can't zero in on it," Piccolo trailed off.  
  
Goku nodded. "I can't use the Instant Transmission to get to him. Dammit!" he cursed, causing Gohan and Piccolo to give him strange looks.  
  
Gohan shook his head. "We know nothing about those people and where they came from. Is there anybody who knows about these Tsufuru-jin?" He looked at Piccolo with hope in his eyes. The Nameckian had fused with Kami, who was ancient. Maybe the old god knew something about them.  
  
Piccolo shook his head. Neither he nor Kami knew anything about the Tsufuru-jin. Nail as usual kept his mouth shut.  
  
"I have an idea." Looking up into the sky, Goku raised his voice. "Hey, King Kai! Are you there?"  
  
"Good idea, Dad!" Gohan said excitedly.  
  
"What do you want Goku?" King Kai answered, sounding slightly annoyed. "I'm in the shower."  
  
A brief mental picture of the naked King Kai flashed through the Z fighters' minds. Looking slightly ill, Gohan commented in an undertone to the greener than usual Piccolo, "I really didn't need to know that."  
  
Piccolo nodded in wholehearted agreement.  
  
Clearing his throat, the elder Saiyan looked up into the sky. "We need some help," Goku explained. "These aliens called Tsufuru-jin just came and took Vegeta."  
  
For a few minutes there was no answer. Goku was just opening his mouth to ask if King Kai was still there, when he spoke. "Tsufuru-jin? Are there are still some of them around?"  
  
"I take it you know these people?" Piccolo asked.  
  
"Of course!" was the indignant reply. "I mean, I know of them, or rumors to that effect at any rate," King Kai amended.  
  
"Well what do you know?" Piccolo asked impatiently.  
  
"Just hold your pants on," King Kai answered. "I have soap dripping down into my..."  
  
"Never mind!" Gohan interrupted hastily. "Please just tell us what you know."  
  
A deep breath, then King Kai dutifully spoke, sounding for all the world like he was reciting a memorized chapter of a dry history book. "The Tsufuru-jin lived in the south quadrant of our galaxy, from the planet Polaner. They prided themselves on their intellect and were very proud of their technology. With the help of their knowledge of science, they conquered disease and poverty. They built many wondrous devices and machines to serve them, ranging from the microscopic to the gigantic. With the aid of their machines, their civilization grew until it the Tsufuru-jin Empire spanned countless star systems. The Empire was the strongest in the galaxy, and had many worlds begging to join. It was a golden age for all who lived at that time. So of course it all went horribly wrong."  
  
"Why am I not surprised," Piccolo muttered. "What happened?"  
  
King Kai snorted, "The artificial intelligences housed in main computers, whose purpose was to keep the Empire running, went mad and took over everything. Its first order was to kill anything alive. The machines rose up and rebelled against their `masters'. It never occurred to the Tsufuru-jin that building such incredible devices might have consequences. Because their whole society depended on their technology, they were helpless to prevent the slaughter of most of their population. Some got away, mostly those who lived furthest from Polaner itself."  
  
"Wow," Goku commented. "That's harsh."  
  
"Yeah, they say no good deed goes unpunished. So the Tsufuru-jin scattered throughout the galaxy, hiding from the horror that they themselves created. But their troubles were just beginning. Their reputation for building incredible technology had spread and now they were hunted by not only their own machines, but by others who desired their science as well. Freiza was one."  
  
The Z fighters looked at each other as they tried to absorb this new information. Piccolo remembered something the one called Kiwi had said.  
  
"A powerful race, such as the Tsufuru-jin, tend to make powerful enemies, and sometimes technology can't take the place of a living warrior."  
  
"That's what Kiwi meant when he said that the Tsufuru-jin made a powerful enemy. He meant that they created them!"  
  
Gohan looked at Piccolo with wide eyes. "So they made the Saiyans to fight for them?"  
  
Piccolo nodded. "It appears that way, except that plan backfired big time."  
  
"Is there anything else?" King Kai asked impatiently, "I want to finish my shower."  
  
"Uh, no. I think were good for now," Goku said. "Bye!"  
  
"Always interrupting at the most inopportune times. These Saiyans are the biggest pain in my backside, and not even a thank you." King Kai muttered, then abruptly realized that they could still hear him and shut down the link.  
  
"Well, now what?" Gohan asked.  
  
"We'll have to go to Capsule Corps and get the spaceship," Piccolo said.  
  
"Good idea." Goku said. "Grab my arm," he told the others. They did, and in a blink of an eye, they were back at the Capsule Corp headquarters. Both Goku and Gohan, who had not seen the destruction of the labs, gawked at the mess.  
  
Piccolo, who had already seen it was not distracted and immediately set off to where he could feel Bulma's life force radiating. He shuddered to think of what the blue-haired woman was going to say when she found out. He heard Goku and Gohan following him, and was inwardly grateful that he was not going to face her wrath alone.  
  
Bulma greeted the Sons cheerfully, but her demeanor changed when she saw Piccolo. "What are you doing here?" she asked sharply. "Where's Vegeta and Trunks?"  
  
Glancing at each other, but knowing it had to be done, they told her what happened. Predictably, she did not take the news very well.  
  
"All you had to do was watch him for a few days, and not even a few hours go by and you let some aliens from outer space kidnap him?" she shrieked, making all the males wince.  
  
There were few people that could rival Chi-Chi in a tirade; unfortunately Bulma was one of them.  
  
"We are going to get him back, Bulma. But we need to use the spaceship," Goku said, waving his hands in a placating gesture.  
  
Bulma glared at them, then sniffed. "Ok, but you had better bring him back, or else!" she glared at them all. There was no need to follow through with the threat. The two Saiyans and the Nameckian breathed a sigh of relief, only to tense up again when Bulma asked another question. "How are you going to find them? None of the equipment here on Earth detected the Tsufuru-jin's arrival or departure."  
  
They looked at each other again. "Good question," Piccolo said. "Vegeta said the electromagnetic readings from the spaceship were off the scale, maybe we could track them."  
  
Bulma considered it. "Its worth a try," she allowed. Then she looked around, puzzled. "Where is Trunks?"  
  
The three looked around as well, as if expecting the kids to miraculously appear. Their eyes lost focus as they sought the kids' ki. There was nothing. The same thought occurred to them at the same time.  
  
"Oh, no."  
  
The Tsufuru-jin ship shot through space, bearing its crew, cargo and two stowaways.  
  
When the scout ship hooked up with the main ship, the two Tsufuru-jins were so excited to secure their unwilling passenger and the precious information and get underway, that they failed to notice that certain pieces of cargo had been moved.  
  
"Trunks," a whisper came from behind a box of spare parts.  
  
"What?" was the impatient reply from behind another box.  
  
"I have to go to the bathroom."  
  
Silence. "Why didn't you go before we left?"  
  
"I didn't have to go then."  
  
"Honestly Goten, I can't take you anywhere!" A defeated sigh. "Oh, all right. Lets go find a bathroom."  
  
Two heads poked out from their hiding places. They tried to sense anyone around, but the strange material used to build the ship blocked them. In the end, they had to use their other senses. When they sneaked aboard the scout ship, they only meant to have a quick look around while the adults were talking. Then the Tsufuru-jin came back and they had to hide, not knowing that the aliens had an unconscious Vegeta with them.  
  
To Trunks' delight, the ship took off, taking himself and Goten with. He knew that Piccolo was going to be mad that they had been exploring the aliens' ship without permission. But the temptation had been too much to resist!  
  
They crept out of the scout ship, into the main ship and paused. A corridor stretched out in front of them, with doors exiting off to the sides at various intervals.  
  
"Which one is the bathroom?" Goten whispered to Trunks.  
  
"They are not labeled, so I guess we just look in each one until we find it," Trunks answered with a shrug.  
  
"Tru~unks! I really have to go!" Goten said plaintively.  
  
"Well, lets get started looking then, shall we?" Trunks proposed. To distract Goten from his problem, Trunks brought up another subject. "Where do you think we're going? I hope its someplace fun."  
  
"Me too, but I have to be home in time for supper, or my mom will be mad," Goten answered as he peaked into an empty storage area.  
  
"Don't worry," Trunks said offhandedly. "I'm sure when they find out that we're here, they'll bring us home."  
  
"Yeah," Goten agreed. "Any luck yet?"  
  
"Not yet," Trunks said. So far they had found a storage room, and empty room and a room of fascinating-looking equipment. But no bathroom. It was then that Trunks had a disturbing thought. "What if they don't have a bathroom? I mean they are aliens, right? We don't know for sure if they need one."  
  
Goten paled. "But they must!" he almost wailed in desperation.  
  
Seeing Goten's distress, Trunks regretted speaking his thoughts out loud. "Yeah, I'm sure you're right. Lets keep looking."  
  
So the two demi-Saiyans kept wandering through the ship, unaware that their presence had been detected.  
  
In another part of the ship, Vegeta glared at the locked door. He was putting a lot of effort into not remembering the last time he had been locked in a room on board a spaceship. He still had nightmares about it.  
  
After they had dumped him unceremoniously in the bare room, the Tsufuru-jin had locked the door and left him alone. It was utterly bare, with no windows or air vents conveniently large enough for a small Saiyan prince to slip out through. The one small comfort was that they had let him keep his scouter. Not that is was much help in this situation. Whatever the interior of the ship had been made of, it was the same as the hull. None of the scouter's detection devices could penetrate the thick plating.  
  
In order to keep his mind from revisiting horrific memories, he started working out strategies for escape. His one comfort was his father's voice, the words echoed in his mind.   
  
"My son. Our people are a race of warriors, not thinkers. Yet even the strongest warrior can be defeated by one that is smarter. As the Prince of the Saiyans, you were born with a higher intelligence than any of our people. You must use that intelligence to aid your warriors in defeating our enemies."  
  
Vegeta had always had more than his share of Saiyan pride, in addition to having the potential to be the strongest Saiyan alive. But it was his ability to think that had aided him the most in battle, and he knew it. Zarbon had once commented acidly that he was a devious little bastard. Instead of taking offense, Vegeta looked on it as a compliment. And that knowledge contributed to his already huge amount of pride and made him look down on his own people even more for their limited intelligence.  
  
Unbeknownst to the prince, the contempt the young prince held for his people had worried the King. Once, they had stood together on the observation deck, watching the Saiyan young being sent to conquer other planets. King Vegeta had tried to convey the pride he held for his people as he explained that even the Saiyan young were stronger than most other races. But the prince had only sneered in contempt at the other Saiyans' weakness in comparison to his own future strength. The Saiyan king never let his son know his concern. Prince Vegeta respected strength, both of the body and the mind, and the King did not want to appear in any way weak to his only son. The King could only hope that one day the prince would learn to respect his people for who they were, and not despise them for what they weren't.  
  
Drawing strength from his thoughts, Vegeta tried to calmly take stock of his situation. He was locked in a barren room, unable to utilize his ki to blast himself out. When the Tsufuru-jin came to get him, they would undoubtedly be armed with that sonic weapon again and expecting him to try to ambush them. He had already tried to force the door open, but the metal was stronger than his own natural strength.  
  
So those options were out.  
  
Growling low in his throat, Vegeta knew what he needed to do. He hated to do it, but there was no other way. His pride made him rebel against the idea of calling for help. But he was smart enough to know it was his only chance.  
  
Drawing a deep breath, he closed his eyes and focused inward. Pushing down past his conscious mind into the back part of his brain, he came to the place where that had once held untold numbers of Saiyan presences. They had been with him ever since he could remember, his silent connection with his people. He didn't need to hear them or talk to them; but he always could just feel them there.  
  
He had never been alone.  
  
Until that one awful moment, almost all of them had been brutally ripped away, leaving a gaping wound that did not bleed, did not heal. In order to hold onto his sanity, his mind instinctively closed it off, locking away the part that held too few where once thousands had resided. It had been sheer self-defense from the dark void that now filled him. A part that was once filled with warmth and vital energy was now cold and empty.  
  
Hopefully, there was still one there.  
  
Pushing aside the abject horror of the genocide he had felt that terrible day, Vegeta focused on the empty spot inside him, searching for the presence of one who so closely resembled the Saiyan he had once considered his friend. After searching the searing emptiness for too long, he began to feel desperation start to hover on the edge of his awareness. Dammit, it had to be there! He was focusing so hard, sweat began to trickle through the thick hair and drip down side of his face. But he absolutely refused to give up.  
  
Finally, Vegeta thought he could feel a single presence, the slightest warmth of another. Without a thought, he sent out a call.   
  
"Kakarrot"  
  
"Did you say something?" Goku asked Gohan as they loaded the Capsule Corp ship with the necessary equipment, mostly food.  
  
"No," Gohan said.  
  
"I thought I heard something," Goku persisted.  
  
"Its probably just in your mind," Bulma said, standing off to the side from where she was supervising.  
  
"Kakarrot, dammit answer me"  
  
"Vegeta?" Goku asked the air, looking around him as if the Saiyan prince was hiding nearby. "Is that you?"  
  
"No, you idiot. It's the High Priestess of the pleasure planet Val Shir. Of course its me!"   
  
"Geez, you needn't be so touchy!" Aware that Piccolo and the others were staring at him, Goku focused inward, trying to get a better grip on the strengthening telepathic link between Vegeta and himself.  
  
"Then stop asking stupid questions. Are you still on Earth?"  
  
Goku nodded, and then realized that Vegeta couldn't see him. "Yes, we are. But don't worry, we're coming for you." He tried to send reassuring thoughts to the young prince. Despite Vegeta's efforts to appear calm, Goku wasn't fooled. The telepathic link was too intimate. Young Vegeta didn't have the mental control like he did when he was older and some of his fear and dread was seeping through to Goku.  
  
"Okay. I am not sure where they are taking me, but you should be able to follow us by tracing this link. I can maintain it for a while, but if I lose consciousness, it will disappear. So you must hurry. Do you understand?"  
  
Goku frowned. He had never attempted to do something like that before, although he suspected Vegeta had done it several times in the past. A few times, when Goku and his friends were in serious trouble, the Saiyan prince had shown up and bailed them out just in the nick of time. And with some of the best dramatic entrances any of them had ever seen. When one of them got up the nerve to ask Vegeta to explain how he had known that they had needed him, Vegeta would just shrug and tell them to mind their own business.  
  
Closing his eyes, he tried to `follow' Vegeta's trail. He thought he could feel a slight tug, like a psychic scent, in a certain direction. He smiled. "Yeah, I think we can find you." He sent a wave of warm reassurance to the prince.  
  
"Then what are you waiting for? Get moving!"  
  
"We're on our way. Just hang in there."  
  
Turning to the others, Goku said, "Don't worry guys, I can follow Vegeta's mental trail, and so we should have no problem finding them."  
  
"Then lets go," Piccolo said and climbed into the ship, followed by Gohan.  
  
Goku, turning to Bulma, reached out and touched her shoulder. "Don't worry Bulma, we'll find them. And please tell Chi-Chi that we are going to be late for dinner." And with that, he jumped up into the ship and they took off in a rumble of engines and a cloud of smoke.  
  
"Tell Chi-Chi?" Bulma echoed weakly. "I'd better wear my earplugs."  
  
TBC 


	8. Making Headwinds

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ. Is that clear?  
  
Warnings: Angst, humor, language and of course violence, this is DBZ after all  
  
Archive: FFN and Stormy. Otherwise just ask.  
  
Written by Annabell with special thanks to Maria and Stacey  
  
A Killer in Me  
  
Part 8  
  
  
  
In his 'room' on board the Tsufuru-jin spaceship, Vegeta tried not to fidget impatiently, but he couldn't quite stop the agitated twitching of his tail. He had done what he could to ensure his rescue, and now he had to wait. His lip curled in a classic Saiyan snarl. He resented having to be rescued. He was the Saiyan prince, dammit! He shouldn't need rescuing. But he was, among other things, a pragmatist. It had been his only viable option.  
  
To pass the time, Vegeta tuned into his 'scouter'. Like he had told Piccolo, it wasn't just a scouter. When he had been informed that he was going to be 'serving' Freiza, (again, his lip curled) the prince had gone to the smartest scientists on the planet and secretly ordered them to make this special device. Frowning, he wondered if any of them had been descended from the Tsufuru-jin that had gene-engineered his bloodline. It hadn't mattered at the time, and thinking about it, it still didn't matter.  
  
What resulted looked like a scouter; even functioned like a scouter. It would have fooled anyone, even Freiza, had he put it on. But there was much, much more to it than that. Inside if the simple-looking device operated the highest technologies available on 35 planets. Microscopic crystals stored vast amounts of data inside, and even more importantly, it was tuned to activate to only Vegeta's brain wave patterns.  
  
When he had tried on the scouter on earlier that day, (had it really been just that morning?) he had accessed the main menu. To his delight, there had been huge amounts of data added over the years, up to the present day. Apparently he had continued on with his original mission after Freiza had been killed. He had also noted the personal log had been added to as well. The first entry was the date that would have been three days from what he remembered last. Vegeta couldn't help but smirk with anticipation. It was like having your own guide to your future ready and waiting.  
  
He settled down with his back to a wall and activated the first entry.  
  
  
  
On the bridge, the Tsufuru-jin were quiet. Each one was lost in his respective tasks. The only sound was the occasional beep of a computer, and the low swish of the circulating air.  
  
"Are they still in the cargo section?" Kiwi finally asked, breaking the silence. He didn't look up from his screen at the science console. Data was scrolling by at a tremendous rate, but he didn't read it. He was waiting for the computer to make its conclusions.  
  
"No, they are now in the passenger section. They seem to be looking for something," Papaya answered, sitting in the pilot's chair, bored out of his skull. "Should I go down there and lock them up too?" They had sent the preliminary data to five of the richest governments in their sector. Now they were cloaked as they hovered in space, waiting for a reply. For amusement, he had been watching the two little earthling's progress through the ship on the main screen. In a corner of the same screen, an image of the Saiyan cub who was sitting still, staring at nothing that Papaya could see.  
  
"Don't bother. They are only Earthlings. They can't get into any trouble. This is odd," Kiwi muttered to himself, but just barely loud enough for Papaya to hear.  
  
"What is?" he asked, not because he cared. But because he was so bored that even listening to Kiwi's geek talk sounded good.  
  
Kiwi didn't notice. "The computer is done analyzing the sample we got from that half-breed. According to these results, the half-breed reaches full potential far earlier than a purebred."  
  
"Like an s.Prou sub-t?" Papaya asked, proud of himself that he'd remembered that much. Then promptly got lost halfway through his partner's answer.  
  
"Yes, and the addition of another species' genes seemed to have stabilized the mental instability inherent to those that reach maximum ki level before maturity."  
  
Papaya blinked. "Can you repeat that, in Common?"  
  
"Uh, sure. Umm…. the half-breed reached full power very young. And he seems to have remained sane."  
  
"Why didn't you say that in the first place?"  
  
"I did, you are just too lazy to try to keep up with the conversation."  
  
"Shut up." Papaya grimaced when he realized that he was still bored. Then an idea came to him. "If a half breed is so strong at a young age, why don't we go back and get him? He might be worth something."  
  
Kiwi considered it, and then shook his head. "I don't think so. The half- breed isn't nearly as strong as the purebreds. My guess would be that he if he hasn't already, he would reach his limit in the next few years. And it seems to be considerably lower than the purebred's."  
  
Making a disgusted noise, Papaya slumped lower in his seat. They were so far out in the middle of nowhere; they couldn't even get the broadcasts of the latest Gladiator Tournaments. All they were stuck with was some lame intergalactic soap operas and infomercials. Not even on his worst day would Papaya watch one of those. So now all he had for entertainment was a dull conversation, riddled with geek-speak. "Why are you even bothering with it then?"  
  
Shrugging, Kiwi turned to face him. "It seemed like a good idea to get to know as much as possible about these Saiyans."  
  
'Whatever," Papaya said, still slouched down in his seat. He glanced up at the monitor. "It looks like the earthlings are near our guest's quarters now."  
  
"What do you suppose they are looking for?" Kiwi asked, glancing up.  
  
"I dunno. But the one with dark hair sure seems agitated about something."  
  
"Well, keep watching them. If it looks like they might get into trouble let me know."  
  
Papaya nodded. Yawning, he let his eyes drift shut. He decided to catch a nap. Those two kids were only weak little Earthlings. What damage could they do?  
  
A little while later…  
  
Shaking and pale with rage, the young prince reached up and removed the scouter. He slowly licked his lips, his mind trying to come to grips with what his future/past had been like. He could only feel thankful that he didn't remember any of it.  
  
Freiza had destroyed his home world. It wasn't anything terribly surprising, indeed the prince half suspected it before he had found confirmation in the records. But that hadn't been it. Freiza had been so much stronger than the Saiyans, that Vegeta half expected something like that to happen. And it wasn't even the near-extinction of his race. He had always looked down on his people for their inferior intellect, and their own weaknesses. He didn't miss them very much. The prince was still too young to fully comprehend the magnitude of the destruction of Vegetasei. His child's mind could not grasp it, and that was what kept him from going insane.  
  
No, it was what happened after that that held the young prince's anger. Anger that acted as a balm against the horror of knowing that he himself would grow up in virtual slavery. And the things Freiza had done to him. The abuse, degradation, the…  
  
He had been a goddamned PET!  
  
NO! he squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to think about that. Then another thought occurred to him. If they returned him to his normal age, he would have to relive all those memories again. And with his photographic memory, it would be like reliving those twenty years of hell.  
  
"Fuck that," he whispered. "I have a chance to start over. If they think that they can take that away, I'll blast them to hell and gone. I will not be returned to what I was."  
  
I will not let them do that to me!  
  
  
  
Goten and Trunks' search was getting desperate. The ship was big, certainly, but there should have been a bathroom somewhere around there! Goten was starting to look like he was in serious pain.  
  
"Hang in there Goten," Trunks encouraged. "There has to be one around here, I'm sure of it!"  
  
Nodding, Goten continued to stagger down the corridor they were currently exploring. They looked in room after room, but there was nothing that resembled a bathroom. Then they came to a locked door.  
  
"What do you suppose is in there?" Trunks asked.  
  
At this point, Goten was past casual curiosity. All he cared about was relieving himself. "Open it, Trunks. What if it's the bathroom?"  
  
Trunks didn't really think that it was, but for Goten's sake, he would humor his friend. He studied the controls next to the door. Having spent his life in his grandfather's lab and possessing his father's photographic memory, Trunks easily deciphered the locking mechanism. The door slid open to reveal…  
  
"Father!" Trunks exclaimed.  
  
Vegeta was standing in the doorway, ready to pounce. His tail was fuzzed out, making it look twice as thick as usual. His face was strangely pale, and his eyes were fixed in that famous glare that made most people feel the need to be somewhere else, anywhere else, now!  
  
Seeing the two demi-Saiyans in the doorway, Vegeta froze in surprise. That didn't last too long, though as Goten shoved his way past the little prince into the cell. "Where's the bathroom," he half wailed, half pleaded.  
  
Blinking, Vegeta numbly point to a small indentation in the back corner.  
  
Goten stagger over as fast as he could, undid his pants and let out a huge sigh of relief.  
  
Turning to Trunks, Vegeta asked, "What are you doing here?" He seemed almost angry. His color had returned, but he seemed distracted by something.  
  
Blushing, Trunks stuttered to explain. He knew that he shouldn't have snuck onto the ship, and figured that Vegeta was mad at him for it. But then Vegeta waved his explanation aside. "Never mind, we have more important things to do."  
  
"Like what?" Trunks asked, cautiously relieved. His father didn't seem too mad at him. His excitement began to grow again.  
  
"We are going to take over this ship," Vegeta announced calmly.  
  
"Cool!" Trunks exclaimed. Now this was his idea of fun. Over in the corner, Goten was still occupied.  
  
"Not so fast," Vegeta folded his arms over his chest, scowling at nothing. His tail twitched from side to side. "We have to disable their main weapon."  
  
"What type of weapon?" Trunks cocked his head to the side. Trunks was a typical boy in most respects. If it could cause damage and chaos, he wanted to know about it.  
  
"A sonic weapon," Vegeta grimaced, remembering the pain it caused his sensitive ears.  
  
"What's a sonic weapon?" Goten asked from the corner.  
  
"A weapon that uses sound to hurt someone," Trunks explained.  
  
"How can sound hurt someone?" Goten asked as he finally finished and redid his pants.  
  
"Its sorta like when how your ears hurt when your mom screams at you."  
  
Understanding shone on Goten's open features. "Oh! I get it!" he beamed.  
  
"So how can a weapon like that be disabled?" Vegeta asked rhetorically, not expecting an answer.  
  
He didn't know that for a kid, Trunks was very, very smart. Having a genius for a mother, and a genetically engineered father, Trunks was one of the brightest kids on the planet Earth. Thinking his father was asking him, tapping his lower lip, Trunks thought hard. He remembered his mother talking about sound once. "Sound travels in waves," he said.  
  
Vegeta scowled impatiently. " I know that," he said. He was suppressing the urge to bolt out of the room before the door closed on them, but forced himself to wait until they had a plan at least.  
  
Trunks ignored him, trying to remember what he had heard. "To cancel out a wave, you must send out a wave that is the same amplitude but opposite frequency," he recited.  
  
Dark eyes widening, Vegeta slowly nodded. "Of course!" he said. He reached up and activated the controls on his scouter. He called up the recording of the sonic weapon, but had it muted. Programming the scouter, Vegeta set it to send out a negating wave. Smirking in triumph, he turned to his son. "Good work," he praised. "I should make you my lieutenant."  
  
Trunks beamed from ear to ear. His father had rarely praised him. Now he was going to make him a lieutenant!  
  
Hearing this, Goten piped up. "Can I be a lootenant too?" he asked, stumbling through the word. "Please! I want to be a lootenant too!"  
  
Feeling inordinately smug with the turn of events, Vegeta was feeling generous. "Sure, why not?"  
  
"Yay!! Goten jumped with glee. "I'm a lootenant!" He stopped abruptly, cocking his head to one side. "What's a lootenant?" he asked.  
  
Vegeta and Trunks stared at him a few beats, then pretending not to have heard that, resumed their previous conversation.  
  
"Why are we going to take over the ship, Father?" Trunks asked.  
  
Lip curled in that classic Saiyan sneer, Vegeta walked out the open door and looked up and down the empty corridor. "Because, we have to go someplace to check something out." he announced.  
  
"Where?" Goten asked excitedly.  
  
"You'll find out," Vegeta replied smugly.  
  
"Is it a surprise?" Goten asked, clapping his hands.  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Vegeta smirked. "Yes, it is a surprise. But first, we must take over the ship." He chose a direction at random and started walking with Trunks and Goten a step behind.  
  
"How are we going to take over the ship, Father? Goten and I didn't see anyone here and we have been looking around for a while now."  
  
"They are here, trust me," Vegeta said. Eyes narrowed, he led the way down the corridor.  
  
  
  
In another part of space, Goku was studying Piccolo's hovering form. The Nameck was sitting cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation, cape billowing gently behind him. Puzzled, the Saiyan sucked his index finger and held it up in the air.  
  
Gohan looked up from the control panel. "What are you doing?" he asked.  
  
"There is no wind in here," Goku said, still holding his wet finger in the air.  
  
"Of course not. We are on a spaceship," Gohan patiently explained. "The air is controlled."  
  
"Then where does Piccolo get the head wind?" Goku asked, scratching his head.  
  
Gohan gaped, then turned and studied his mentor. Cocking his head to one side, he considered the scene in front of him. Finally, he shrugged, deciding to tease his father a little. "I think it's a prerequisite. He wears a cape, therefore he must have a head wind."  
  
"Oh, I see!" Goku exclaimed with a grin.  
  
Both Gohan and Piccolo sweat dropped.  
  
They were on one of Dr. Brief's new spaceships. This one had an experimental drive that was theoretically twice as fast as the old drive. But they found out that even with the new drive, they were no match for the Tsufuru-jin ship. They could only hope that the Tsufuru-jin would stop long enough for them to catch up.  
  
Changing the subject, Gohan asked Goku, "Are we getting close?"  
  
Goku frowned, turning his thoughts inward to where he could sense Vegeta. It felt like they were getting closer, but Vegeta was still very far away. He told Gohan so.  
  
Something else that concerned him was the faint emotions that he was feeling emanating from the small Saiyan prince. It seemed to be a blend of rage, shame and fear. Not knowing what was happening, he tried to contact Vegeta, but there was absolutely no response for his efforts. The prince had shut him out of his thoughts, even thought the slender psychic thread still tied them together.  
  
It was frustrating Goku to no end that Vegeta was hurting and Goku couldn't be there to help him. But he tried to help anyway. He concentrated on sending waves of reassurance to the prince. Whether of not Vegeta received these thoughts wasn't certain, but Goku did it anyway.  
  
Unknowingly mirroring his father's unease, Gohan said, "I hope those kids are alright."  
  
Forgetting his own disquiet, Goku grinned confidently. "I'm sure they are! Trunks and Goten are strong kids. And Vegeta can take care of himself. Between the three of them, they'll be fine. "  
  
Piccolo broke in. "I don't know about that."  
  
Looking back at Piccolo, Gohan frowned. "What do you mean?"  
  
Opening his eyes, Piccolo lowered his legs to stand on the floor. "Trunks still thinks of Vegeta as his father, just in a smaller body. He doesn't realize that this young Vegeta has none of the power or the experience that he will gain as he gets older. And I don't think Vegeta would think twice about putting his son or Goten in danger. He is back to being the spoiled, selfish brat prince he once was."  
  
"So you think that Trunks and Goten will follow Vegeta even if it gets them into serious trouble?" Gohan asked.  
  
"Especially if it puts them in danger," Piccolo retorted. "You Saiyans have a knack of finding trouble, especially Vegeta."  
  
Goku shook his head. "I don't think so, Piccolo. When we met Vegeta, he had been under Frieza's control for years. He was taught to be vicious and cruel. Young Vegeta has not had that; he is still..." he fumbled for the correct word. 'Innocent' and 'pure' didn't describe Vegeta. The prince had already by this time, committed genocide many times over. Sighing, he gave up, deciding to just rely on his instincts. "They'll be fine," he stated.  
  
Gohan was staring at his father, wide-eyed in some amazement and admiration. There were times when Goku seemed to be as wise as kami…  
  
"Say Piccolo, do you think that I would get a head wind if I had a cape?" Goku asked enthusiastically.  
  
…and then there were times Gohan would swear that he had met smarter houseplants than his father.  
  
"I don't know," Piccolo answered, sounding strangled.  
  
Gohan snorted, smothering a laugh at the look on Piccolo's face. The computer beeped, giving a grateful Gohan to turn around and hide his smirk from the glaring Piccolo. He forgot about laughing as soon as he saw what was on the screen in front of him. "Oh, no," he whispered.  
  
Concerned, Piccolo and Goku crowded close behind him, trying to see what was wrong. "What is it?" Goku asked.  
  
"The Tsufuru-jin are transmitting their information to various points in the sector of the galaxy. They really are going to sell Vegeta to the highest bidder. Someone has already responded."  
  
A very unwelcome thought occurred to Piccolo. "Guys, we may be in trouble here."  
  
Hearing that ultra-serious tone, both Saiyans looked at Piccolo. "Why?" Gohan asked.  
  
"The Saiyans had a well-earned reputation for wiping out entire races of beings. Say, if some of those races had survivors, this would be the perfect opportunity for them to get revenge."  
  
Gohan gulped, and even Goku looked serious. "You are right, Piccolo. And Vegeta isn't nearly as strong as he used to be, he can't defend himself like he could before."  
  
"We'd better get there first," Piccolo said, and both Sons nodded solemnly.  
  
  
  
TBC 


	9. Turning the Tables

Disclaimer: I do not own anything DBZ, except for a really cool Vegeta wall- scroll.  
  
Warning: Angst, Humor, and of course violence. Really, what else did you expect?  
  
Archive: Stormy and FFN. Otherwise just ask. I won't say no.  
  
Thanks go to Stormy and those who wrote to me with encouragement and most of all to the great reviewers! I appreciate each and every one of them.  
  
  
  
A Killer in Me  
  
Part 9  
  
  
  
Vegeta stalked through the Tsufuru-jin ship, scowling, with Trunks and Goten were right on his heels. As they made their way through the ship, he realized that he recognized a lot of the technology. It made sense. Much of the Saiyans' technology had been stolen from other races. The Tsufuru-jin were probably the first race they had stolen from.  
  
They came to the end of the corridor to a set of closed doors. Vegeta figured that the control room was behind them. Along with his kidnappers. Lip curled in a classic Saiyan sneer, Vegeta tried to open it, but it was locked. He was considering his options, mainly along the lines of blasting the doors down when a voice came over the loudspeakers, echoing through the corridor behind them.  
  
"What do you think you are doing, little monkey?" it asked condescendingly. It was obviously the one called Papaya.  
  
Not looking at his companions, Vegeta answered cockily. "We are here to take over the ship. Let us in," he ordered. Behind him, Trunks and Goten grinned at each other in anticipation. It was just like how it was in the movies!  
  
"Yeah, right kid! Like we are just going to hand over our ship to an evolved monkey with an atrocious taste in clothes, and two human children. Don't make me laugh. Tell you what, why don't you and your little friends just go back to your room and stay there until your new owners get here. If you're good, I'll tell them to give you lots of bananas."  
  
Growling with irritation, Vegeta retorted. "Why don't you come out here and say that? Or do you prefer to crouch like a dog behind your door and yap at your betters?" He definitely didn't like it that the Tsufuru-jin had insulted his Furious George shirt. He liked that shirt!  
  
"Oh, that's a good one," Trunks said in admiration of the insult.  
  
Vegeta shot him a thin-lipped smile. "Of course!" Unfortunately, the insult did not have the desired effect on the Tsufuru-jin. They stayed locked in their control room. Glancing at Trunks out of the corner of his eye, the Saiyan prince asked, "Can you unlock this door as well?" Wielding ki blasts in an enclosed ship in space was not highly recommended, no matter how irritated one was.  
  
Trunks studied the controls and grinned like a maniac. "Of course!" he answered in an unconscious imitation of his father. Much of his life, the demi-Saiyan had to fight for his father's attention. But now his father was asking him to take an active part in a great adventure, listening to his advice and treating him almost like an equal. Trunks felt his heart swell with love for his proud father, and at that time, felt that he could move a planet out of its orbit if Vegeta had requested it.  
  
It didn't take long, and before the two Tsufuru-jin could react, the doors were open and Vegeta, Trunks and Goten were strolling into the control room like they owned it.  
  
"How did you get in here?" Kiwi yelped, spinning and pinning Papaya with an accusatory glare.  
  
"That is for us to know and you to find out!" Goten piped up. It wasn't fair that Vegeta and Trunks got to deliver all the good lines; he felt it was his turn. In response, Trunks shot him a quick grin and even Vegeta curled his lip in approval. Goten beamed.  
  
Papaya was standing now with his fists clenched in anger at the insolence of the Earth child. "You little brats!" he shouted. "Kiwi! Shut them up!"  
  
Even as Kiwi hit the switch that activated the sonic weapon, Vegeta was reaching up to his scouter. For a split second, a horrible noise split the air. But even as defending hands were reaching for sensitive ears, the noise…simply stopped. In its place was kind of inaudible pressure on their eardrums. The Tsufuru-jin gaped in horror.  
  
"I will not tell you again, we are taking control of the ship. You know that you don't have a chance without your weapon, which is rather useless now," Vegeta said, looking smug. He could smell just the slightest scent of fear coming from the Kiwi and Papaya, and it made his heart beat faster. "It is ours now, get off before we throw you off without the benefit of a space pod."  
  
"Like hell…" Papaya started but was interrupted by Kiwi.  
  
"Look, kid. Don't get excited. We are out in the middle of nowhere. You can't just dump us out here."  
  
"Sure we can," Vegeta answered mockingly. "Trunks, where are the escape pods and how many?"  
  
Trunks strolled over to the main control panel and frowned. "I can't read this," he said.  
  
Catching the triumphant exchanged glances between the Tsufuru-jin, Vegeta shook his head. Walking over to stand behind his son, he looked over the purple-haired boy's shoulder. Scowling, he realized that he couldn't read it either, but that was no matter. He reached up and activated his scouter. Taking it off, he opened a port and plugged it into the control panel. After a few seconds, the readouts changed to normal English.  
  
"Cool!" Trunks exclaimed.  
  
Reclaiming his scouter, Vegeta just smirked.  
  
After calling up a map of the ship, he found where they were, noting the 'You Are Here" marker. After that, finding the location of the escape pods was simple. It turned out there were three of them. Two of them were located nearby; the third was near the engine room.  
  
"Lets get rid of this trash and be on our way," Vegeta suggested.  
  
Kiwi tried to reason with Vegeta again. Unfortunately for him, Piccolo had put it best: "The only way to reason with Vegeta when he's got the upper hand is with a wrench." Ignoring the protests, Vegeta ordered Trunks and Goten to stuff them into the two nearest space pods and eject them.  
  
Seeing that reasoning wasn't getting them anywhere, Papaya tried to take a swing at Goten, who was nearest to him. Goten blocked the punch easily, looking a bit mystified. "Why'd you do that?" he asked, not bothered in the slightest by the Tsufuru-jin's attempt to knock his block off.  
  
But Papaya was staring at Goten in near-terror. "You aren't a human!" he said.  
  
"Nope," Trunks grinned. "Me an Goten are part Saiyan too."  
  
Kiwi covered his eyes and groaned. "I told you to keep an eye on them!" he snapped at his partner. "This is all your fault."  
  
Looking embarrassed, Papaya tried to defend himself. "How was I supposed to know? You're supposed to be the smart one."  
  
Tapping his foot, Vegeta had enough. "That's enough. Get them out of here!"  
  
"Okay, Dad." Trunks said. "Goten, get the other one."  
  
"Dad?" Kiwi asked Trunks as he was herded out the door, Papaya and Goten on his heels.  
  
"Yeah, he's my father." Trunks said proudly. Before he could ask, they came to the two nearest escape pods and the two demi-Saiyans unconcernedly shoved them in.  
  
"Bye!" Goten waved as they shot out away from the side of the ship.  
  
All three boys trooped back to the control room. Vegeta studied the instruments for a moment, his tail twitching from side to side. Then, looking eminently satisfied with himself, laid in a course and engaged the engines.  
  
"Where are we going?" Trunks asked.  
  
"You'll find out," Vegeta answered.  
  
At that time a loud growling noise interrupted them. They turned and looked at Goten, who blushed. "I'm hungry," he giggled.  
  
Trunks was about to jeer at his friend when his own stomach sounded off. Smirking, Vegeta shook his head. "There is a galley on board. Go find some food," he said.  
  
Both Trunks and Goten thought this idea was great and after consulting with the map of the ship, raced off to find something to eat. Vegeta stayed in the control room, however. Now that it was quiet he had one more thing that he had to do. Closing his eyes, he reached inward, past his conscious mind into the back part of his mind that ruled instinct. Concentrating, he sought that other presence.  
  
1 'Kakkarott,'  
  
The response was instantaneous. 'Vegeta, are you alright?'  
  
'Of course!' was Vegeta's smug answer.  
  
2 'Thank god!'  
  
Snort. 'Why? He had nothing to do with it.'  
  
3 'Whats happening?'  
  
'Myself, Trunks and Goten have taken over the ship. We got rid of the two pests that took us and now we are going somewhere that I need to check out. So you needn't bother coming to get us.'  
  
4 'What?'  
  
'You heard me, go home. We don't need you.'  
  
'Vegeta, listen to me. You are not out of danger. The Tsufuru-jin contacted several governments about you. They will be coming to look for you.'  
  
'So? Let them come. I'm not afraid of them.'  
  
'Vegeta, you don't understand. Some of these people are very powerful. Remember Captain Ginyu?'  
  
'What does that moron have to do with anything?'  
  
'His species' government is sending a ship to get you. They are much stronger than you.'  
  
'Hn, whatever. I don't intend to be here anyway. I have other fish to fry.' And speaking of fish, the Saiyan prince realized that he too was hungry.  
  
'Vegeta, wait for us! I mean it, you are in a lot of danger.'  
  
'Kakkarott, go home. Your presence is not needed or welcome.' And with that, Vegeta severed the link. "Fool," he muttered. "I am the Saiyan prince and have been taking care of myself for years. I don't need a babysitter." Vegeta glanced at the map and located the galley.  
  
As he left, he failed to notice that the proximity alarm was turned off. And that another ship was in their vicinity and closing in on the two pods floating unprotected in the middle of nowhere. He didn't see it engulf the Tsufuru-jin and then take off like a half-seen shadow.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Goku nearly growled in frustration. Vegeta could be so stubborn sometimes!  
  
"You mean they took over the ship and now they are off to god-knows-where. Just the three of them?" Piccolo asked, incredulous.  
  
Nodding, Goku was still tuned inward, trying to find Vegeta.  
  
"I don't know who to feel more worried for, the kids, or the rest of the universe," Piccolo grumbled.  
  
"C'mon Piccolo, they are three kids. How much trouble could…" Gohan didn't get the chance to finish his thought, however. He remembered that this was Trunks and Goten they were talking about here. And add Vegeta into the mix, for whom causing chaos on a planetary scale was routine, it was a recipe for disaster. "Oh, shit. We are in trouble. What do we do?"  
  
Piccolo looked solemn. "I'm leaning toward blind panic myself."  
  
"That's not funny, Piccolo. Dad, can you still find Vegeta?" Gohan asked, his voice thick with urgency. He knew Piccolo was joking, but part of him agreed with the Nameckian's sentiment. Their only hope lay with Goku and the tenuous bond he shared with the Saiyan prince.  
  
Goku nodded slowly. "I think so. He closed his mind off, but the link is still there, weaker maybe, but I can still follow it."  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief, Piccolo folded his arms over his chest, his cape billowing gently behind him. "Is this ship going as fast as it can?" he asked.  
  
Studying the controls, Gohan nodded. "Yeah, we are at top speed now," he reported.  
  
"Are we any closer?" the Nameckian asked Goku.  
  
Goku nodded. "Yeah, they stopped for a while, and we closed the gap pretty good. I don't think they are too far away."  
  
"Well then. It seems that all we can do is wait until we catch up with the brats. Until then, we should mediate." Following his own suggestion, Piccolo gathered his legs under him until he was floating once again in mid air.  
  
Goku and Gohan looked at each other. While mediating was necessary, it wasn't exactly fun. Then, as if on cue, both the Saiyans stomachs growled loudly. Grinning, Goku suggested to Gohan that they get something to eat. After all, it was after their dinnertime.  
  
Piccolo just shook his head, his cape billowing behind him. 'Saiyans,' he thought.  
  
  
  
TBC  
  
  
  
Note: sorry this was so short and a bit boring, but there are some things that need to get set up before the main action can begin. One more thing. I am an admitted EverQuest addict. That is why I am not really fast updating my stories, (as the GW fans well know) so please be patient. Its hard to find the time for all of my interests. Thank you once again!  
  
Annabell 


	10. Got Milk?

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ, except for the Vegeta action figure perched on my monitor.  
  
Warnings: Angst, Humor and as always, Violence.  
  
Archive: Sure, you bet!  
  
Thanks as always go to Stormy, Stacey and Maria, for their unflagging support. And to the wonderful reviewers, you know who you are.  
  
  
  
  
  
A Killer in Me  
  
Chapter 10  
  
  
  
Vegeta found Trunks and Goten stuffing their faces rather neatly for Saiyans. The galley was large and well stocked, enough to feed the three of them for about two days all told. He strutted in; feeling very satisfied with the recent events and that made his mood rather mellow.  
  
Trunks and Goten looked up as he entered, their cheeks bulging with food. Trunks swallowed, and said, "Hey father! Gonna join us?"  
  
Nodding, Vegeta sat next to Goten and surveyed the table. He picked up a yellowish bar and bit into it, noting the taste was sweet. In two gulps, the whole thing was gone. He was reaching for another when Trunks asked, "Where are we going?"  
  
Chewing for a minute, Vegeta thought about his response. Then shrugging, he said, "Planet Freiza number 34."  
  
"Planet Freiza number 34?" Goten asked as he stuffed some green, leafy stuff in his mouth.  
  
"Yes, that's the one," Vegeta answered, and grabbed yet another yellow bar.  
  
"Why there?" Trunks asked, tearing apart a brown loaf.  
  
"Because that is the only planet that Freiza claimed, yet left intact. I want to know why." Vegeta was thinking about the past, and what he needed to do.  
  
"Freiza?" Goten asked, surprised. "He's dead."  
  
"I know that. That is the only reason that I can go to the planet," Vegeta said a bit impatiently. "When he was alive, the planet was quarantined. No one was allowed with 5 parsecs of the place."  
  
Trunks was studying his father. "How do you know so much about Freiza?" he asked.  
  
The Saiyan prince froze. He thought that Trunks and Goten knew about his past. Apparently that was not the case. "My father King Vegeta sent me to Freiza when I was younger," Vegeta said, not really wanting to talk about it. But seeing the surprised expression on the boys' faces, he knew that he needed to explain things a bit more. "Freiza thought he would have better control the Saiyans if he 'raised' me. But my father had something else in mind, so he agreed."  
  
"What did he have in mind?" Trunks asked, awed. He didn't know that Freiza had raised his father. From everything he had heard, Freiza was the worst possible monster that existed. The demi-Saiyan felt an unnamed dread stir deep within himself at the thought of his father, as a child, in the brutal hands to the reptile. But Vegeta was talking again, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
"My father sent me to spy on Freiza."  
  
"Wow! You were a spy?" Goten's estimation of Vegeta went up yet another notch. There was no end to what the Saiyan prince could do in the youngest Son's opinion. "I would have never thought of that!"  
  
Biting into a pink fruit, Vegeta nodded. "Neither did Freiza. Normally, Saiyans make the worst spies. They aren't smart enough to hide a secret if their life depended on it, not to mention that most are a subtle as a meteor shower. But since my birth, my father made sure that I received the highest education possible. Freiza never suspected that a Saiyan could be a spy."  
  
"How long will it take to get to Planet Freiza number 34?" Trunks asked. He made a mental note to ask Goku about his father's past with Freiza as soon as he saw the other Saiyan.  
  
Activating his scouter, Vegeta looked at the readings and said, "At our present speed about 36 hours."  
  
Goten choked. "36 hours? My mother is going to kill me!"  
  
Blinking, Vegeta asked, "What for?"  
  
"She told me to be home for supper, and I'm gonna be late!" Goten wailed in distress.  
  
Not seeing what the big deal was, Vegeta shrugged. "So what?"  
  
"You don't know Goten's mom," Trunks said. "She's really scary."  
  
Remembering the dark-haired harridan, Vegeta could see where that notion had come from. But as a member of the Royal House, he still figured that the best way of dealing with Chi-Chi would be to blast her. He was about to say so when the ship shuddered violently, throwing them all to the floor. A siren sounded off, deafening them with its constant wail.  
  
"What the hell?" Vegeta demanded, his tail was fuzzed out and lashing wildly. The sound of twisting metal filled their sensitive ears as the ship shuddered again. "We are under attack!"  
  
"Who is attacking us?" Goten shouted above the siren, scrambling to his feet.  
  
"How the hell should I know?" Vegeta snapped, as he too gained his feet and raced out the door, heading to the control room. Trunks and Goten were hot on his heels. They hit the control room and Vegeta immediately deactivated the siren. He then activated the main screen and started swearing so fluently that Trunks regretted not being able to take notes.  
  
Floating nearby in space was a huge ship, bristling with cannons. Vegeta recognized it instantly. "Lactaids!" he spat. "What in hell are they doing?"  
  
"Who?" Trunks asked.  
  
"They are from the planet Lactose. Their strength is only outmatched by their ugliness. One of them was the captain of Freiza's Ginyu Force." Vegeta said sourly. Mentally, he kicked himself. Goku had warned him that these goons were coming, but did he listen? No! Shaking his head, he went on. "We have to get out of here. That ship carries about 25 troops, and the only weapon on this ship would barely blister the paint on that thing. We aren't strong enough to fight them." The ship shuddered once again. "Dammit! They just hit us with a tractor beam." Vegeta smashed a fist against a monitor, which promptly blew up.  
  
"We are being boarded!" Trunks shouted from the other side of the control room where he was watching a blinking screen.  
  
"We will have to fight hand to hand," Vegeta said, his heart pounding with excitement at the upcoming battle. He couldn't help his smirk of anticipation. The odds were very high against them, but this was the type of fight that Saiyans lived for. If they died, at least they would go out fighting.  
  
Sensing his father's eagerness, Trunks looked at Goten and had an idea. "Would it help if we went Super Saiyan?" he asked Vegeta.  
  
Vegeta didn't respond. Trunks frowned and repeated his question. Then he noted that Vegeta hadn't moved or for that matter, even blinked. "Father?" He waved a hand in front of the prince's face, but there was still no response. "I think he's clocked out," he reported, turning to Goten.  
  
A hand fisting the front of his Capsule Corp sweatshirt pulled him back around to face the glittering eyes of Vegeta. "What did you say?" the Saiyan prince asked in a level voice that belied his shock.  
  
"Ummm…I just asked if you want me and Goten to go Super Saiyan," Trunks tried to smile but it was a bit wobbly. There were very few times Vegeta had that look in his eyes, and each time it had not heralded a good thing.  
  
"Super Saiyan?" Vegeta echoed. He studied his son, trying to discern the lie, because it had to be a lie. There were no Super Saiyans. The last one had been at least a millennia ago. Sure, Vegeta himself carried to potential, but it was impossible that these two half-breeds could be Super Saiyan. Okay, maybe, maybe his son, but there was no way that the other one could.  
  
"Sure," Goten answered Vegeta's unspoken question. "Like this." Vegeta's scouter screamed to life as he powered up until his black hair was golden and his eyes were solid aqua.  
  
Slowly, Vegeta let go of Trunks, staring at Goten like he'd never seen anything like it before. And he hadn't. Sure he'd heard about the Golden Fighter, but that was just a legend, and now…  
  
Vegeta swallowed hard, his tail was fuzzed out again. "You are a Super Saiyan!"  
  
Goten grinned manically, and Trunks powered up too. The two boys stood grinning at the Saiyan prince, glowing gold.  
  
"Both of you!" Vegeta shook his head, trying to get a grip on his thoughts. He told himself that he did not have time for histrionics now. Trying like hell to accept the situation, Vegeta forced himself to ignore the hysterical denial that insisted that what he was seeing wasn't real, and concentrated on a more productive line of thinking. "Okay, that simplifies things a lot. The two of you can take on the Lactaids as they board our ship. But don't get carried away!" he warned the pair.  
  
"What do you mean? That we can't hurt them?" Goten asked disappointed. He knew his father didn't like hurting others if he could help it. Funny, Vegeta never seemed to have that problem before.  
  
But Vegeta just snorted in derision. "Hurt them? Of course you can hurt them. Hurt them all you want to in fact! Killing them would be even better. I just meant don't destroy the ship."  
  
"Oh, okay!" Goten brightened. Vegeta was much easier to deal with than Goku on this matter.  
  
"What will you be doing?" Trunks asked.  
  
Grinning evilly, Vegeta answered, "I'm going to sneak over there and blow up their ship."  
  
Trunks and Goten had just enough time to give each other a high five, then the ship shook once again, as it was roughly pulled alongside the warship. "Get going!" Vegeta snapped.  
  
They got.  
  
  
  
Trunks and Goten didn't exactly expect to romp through the fight, and the Lactaids put up a surprising amount of resistance. They were very strong, despite their purple skin and teeny little horns. The main hindrance was due to the numbers of the opposition and Vegeta's orders not to damage the ship. Finally, pressed to the limit, Trunks looked at Goten, who looked back at Trunks. They both grinned that slow, evil grin at the same time.  
  
"Ready Goten?"  
  
"Ready, Trunks!"  
  
Sliding a little ways apart, they struck a pose.  
  
"Fu…"  
  
Seven Lactaids slid to a stop in front of the two demi-Saiyans and stared at the weird little performance going on in front of them.  
  
"Sion…"  
  
Grimacing at the sheer ugliness of the dance, one of the Lactaids pulled out a blaster rifle and pointed it at Trunks.  
  
"H…"  
  
BLAM!  
  
Trunks found himself flat on his back, staring at the ceiling in bemusement. That was not supposed to happen. He sat up, glaring at the Lactaid who shot him. Beside him, Goten was staring in shock.  
  
Climbing to his feet, Trunks dusted himself off and marched up to the Lactaid. He reached out and yanked the laser rifle out of the stunned soldier's hand and broke it in half over his knee with no effort. Reaching up to grab a fistful of the soldier's uniform, he dragged the Lactaid down to eye level. "Listen, idiot. Something really cool is going to happen here. Wait for it!" he commanded in his best Vegeta voice.  
  
Releasing the Lactaid, Trunks turned his back and marched back to Goten. "Okay, lets try this again, and no audience participation this time." He glared at the watchers who actually managed to look a bit sheepish.  
  
Nodding at Goten, the two demi-Saiyans resumed the position.  
  
"Fu…"  
  
"Sion…"  
  
"HA!"  
  
The watching soldiers threw their arms in front of their eyes to keep from being blinded by the bright light that burst from the two small forms in front of them. When they lowered their arms, however, there was only one. He was dressed in a corny vest and baggy white pants, standing with his hands perched cockily on his hips. An arrogance sneer was etched permanently on his face. And his hair was a golden mass that hung down to his waist.  
  
"Tremble at my feet, minions of evil, for I am Gotenks!" It should be noted that Trunks and Goten had become obsessed with Monty Python and the Holy Grail and it was influencing their vocabulary immensely.  
  
The Lactaid soldiers stared. For one thing, they simply could not get over the ugly fusion dance. And if it produced something that talked like that, well, it was almost too much. So they reacted in the most natural way they could. They fell on the ground, laughing their asses off, so to speak.  
  
Gotenks looked extremely put out. He hated not being taken seriously.  
  
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Gotenks jumped up and down in a fit of rage.  
  
The soldiers stopped laughing abruptly, looked over at Gotenks, looked at each other, and promptly fell down laughing again. Harder this time.  
  
"That does it!" Gotenks roared. In a fit of pique, his ki flared up, and he extended a hand at the Lactaids. "Finish Flash!"  
  
The huge ki beam tore right through the laughing Lactaids, who weren't laughing anymore. Unfortunately, they didn't slow it down…not one little bit. Neither did the wall. Nor the wall behind that. Nor did the engines.  
  
Gotenks gaped in horror at what he had done. He could see sparks coming from the huge pieces of machinery as smoke curled up in ever-increasing billows around the engines.  
  
"Vegeta's going to be pissed," he observed, wincing.  
  
TBC  
  
  
  
Author's note: Yeah, I know that I 'borrowed' a bit here but if you have ever seen the episode with Gotenks and Buu in the Room of Spirit and Time you know that without a doubt, it was one of the funniest episodes ever. 


	11. The Sound and the Fusion

Disclaimer: I do not own anything DBZ, except the plastic SS2 Gohan on my power woofer.

Warning: Angst, Humor, Language and (all together now) Violence! Lots and lots of bloody violence!

Archive: Hell yeah!

Special thanks go to Stormy, Stacey and Maria. And to the wonderful reviewers out there who review! It actually pulls me away from EverQuest and gets me writing.

Author's Note: Please note that I am using the power levels taken from the series. I am forced to guess about little Vegeta's, as in this fic he is a child. Since he was about 30 when he first appeared in the series with a battle power of 18,000, I am going to guess that at age nine, he has a battle power of around 6,000. Of course this means that Vegeta will not be able to go Super Saiyan until he gets much, much older. But that goes along with his genetic engineering.

Lactaids: 120,000 (since Captain Ginyu had a power of 160,000, and these guys aren't quite as strong)

The original figures come from Majin Planet. 

A Killer in Me

Chapter 11

Vegeta slinked down one of the corridors of the Lactaid's ship, pausing just long enough to run a scan of the area with his scouter before proceeding on his way to the engine room.  It was easy enough to avoid any of the ship's inhabitants as they were each as big as a lumber wagon and about as noisy. They didn't even notice the small Saiyan prince lurking in the shadows, his tail waving slowly behind him as they ran past.

As he watched them skid around the corner, Vegeta wondered what his companions were up to. Whatever it was, it seemed to have caused a great deal of excitement among the Lactaids. Shrugging, he decided it wasn't really relevant. As long as they didn't destroy their own ship, Vegeta wasn't going to waste effort being concerned.

Finally, the last soldier disappeared out of sight, and Vegeta glided silently to the engine room doors. He hit the button to open the doors and stepped to the side out of sight, just in case there was someone still in there.  A quick peek showed him that the room was empty.  Satisfied, he sneered to himself. He couldn't believe the overconfidence of some people.  

It never occurred to him that that was one of his own major failings.

Adjusting his scouter, he did a quick scan of the room. There.  That was what he needed. Taking a last look around, just to be sure he was really alone, he sauntered to the main reactor and set it to overload. Making sure that all the fail-safes were off, he then sent a small ki blast into the control panel, destroying it completely in a shower of sparks and smoke. 

Immediately, a siren began to wail.

Grinning evilly in smug satisfaction, Vegeta quickly made his exit. He figured it would take about 10 minutes for the reactor to blow itself up, along with the rest of the Lactaid's ship. There should be plenty of time for them to make their getaway.  His sharp ears caught some shouts ahead of him and hid in a small alcove to one side. Probably the engineer was coming back to try to find out why the reactor was overheating. Of course that knowledge wouldn't do them any good, as Vegeta had made sure that there was no way to stop the imminent explosion. 

His tail lashed from side to side with impatience. Why weren't they hurrying up? 

He knew that he was cutting it very close. The longer he lingered in one spot, the greater the chances for discovery were. Finally, Vegeta decided that he couldn't wait any longer. Making his way back to the airlock that bound the two ships together; he was just edging around a corner when he heard a sizable number of Lactaids coming in behind him. Eyes widening, he bolted around the corner just in time to wind up face to face with several soldiers hurrying back through from the other side. 

'Why the hell were they coming back?' he wondered insanely. Weren't Trunks and Goten following his orders to kill them? Then the danger of his own situation sank in as it took Vegeta a second to realize that he was surrounded.

For a beat they all stared at each other, then with a burst of adrenaline, Vegeta dove for the exit, trying to slide through a set of massive purple legs in a desperate bid for freedom. But a clawed hand seizing his tail brought him up short with a scream of pure agony as he dropped to his belly, writhing.

"He sabotaged our ship!" one of the Lactaids shouted from behind. The enraged soldier kicked the helpless prince once, twice, three times in the ribs. Vegeta's vision swam as he felt the bones give way under the blows. He bit his lip to keep from crying out, and tried to force his agony into rage. But the terrible grip on his tail kept him weak as a day old kitten, and it was all he could do to hang onto consciousness, even as blackness hovered at the edges of his sight.

Then the others joined in, kicking the helpless Saiyan cub with steel-toed boots. Vegeta bit down on his lip, nearly biting through it to prevent any sound to escape. He was stubborn enough to deny them that satisfaction at least. He wasn't sure how long the beating lasted but it was abruptly terminated when a sudden explosion in the engine room threw the soldiers off their feet as the ship rocked from the blast. Feeling the horrendous pressure on his vulnerable tail lessen, Vegeta pulled away from his tormentors and crawled a few paces before pushing himself up to his feet. Clutching at the wall for support, he drew a deep breath and focused the last shreds of his ki into a small glowing ball. Aiming it at the control pad on the wall near the airlock, he let it loose and then fell rather than jumped through the closing door, trapping the Lactaids in their own ship, and leaving Vegeta alone on the other side in the Tsufuru-jin ship.

Clutching at his broken ribs, he tried to draw a breath. His mouth was full of blood, the thick coppery taste nearly making him gag. Grimly, for the sake of his injured body, he fought the urge. Breathing was very, very painful but not impossible. Drawing on that famous indomitable will, he forced himself to stagger to the control room, clinging to the wall every step of the way. His entire being focused on getting the hell away from the Lactaid's ship before it blew up completely.

At first he thought it was his vision getting cloudy again, but it gradually penetrated through the haze of pain that the ship was filled with smoke. An ominous feeling began to gather in the pit of his stomach. What the hell had happened? 

Vegeta entered the control room, and staggered over to the pilot's chair, intent on making his getaway. He focused his fraying attention on plotting their course and getting the hell out of there. He hit the ignition switch and sighed as he sat back, closing his eyes, letting the pain of his injuries slide over him.

After a minute he frowned and opened his eyes. They should be moving.

They weren't.

In fact, there was absolutely no response from the engines. "What the hell…" he muttered.

Behind him the door opened. Spinning around, he stared at the strange person standing in the doorway, who for some reason was looking rather sheepish. The person was wearing some type of vest that showed off incredible abs, and baggy white pants. Long gold hair and no eyebrows completed the look. Scowling, Vegeta commented, "Okay, you take the prize for being the weirdest thing I've seen all day. Who the fuck are you?" He didn't have time for this. All he wanted to do was get away far from the Lactaids so he could nurse his wounds in peace.

The golden haired newcomer struck a dramatic pose; chest thrust out and hands perched recklessly on his hips. "I am neither Trunks nor Goten, but a more powerful fusion between the two. My name is Gotenks!" he announced in a strange dual voice, striking another pose.

Rubbing a hand over his eyes, Vegeta said, "That does it, I am through being surprised or shocked by anything. I have now officially seen it all." His ribs were aching fiercely, and other bruises were being felt emphatically as well.   

"I have driven the enemy back to his ship," Gotenks announced, posing yet again.

"Hooray for you," Vegeta commented snidely. He had run right into them. "Now go somewhere else, I'm busy. The engines aren't responding and we have to get out of here." He turned back to the control panel, trying to figure out why the engines weren't responding.  It was obvious that the person known as 'Gotenks' wasn't an immediate threat, so the Saiyan prince mentally dismissed him, categorizing him as something to deal with later. Much, much later.

Gotenks cleared his throat. "Uh, I think I know why the engines aren't working." 

Under normal circumstances, Vegeta wasn't psychic. He didn't know what the future held and didn't really want to know either. He had enough just living in the present. But there was something in this Gotenks' voice that made his skin prickle. Something that told him that he really did not want to know how Gotenks knew that the engines weren't working. But nevertheless, he had to know.

"Why aren't the engines working?" he asked, his eyes closed and one hand clutching his ribs.

"I sorta blasted them," Gotenks said with an embarrassed laugh, one hand behind his head.

At first Vegeta thought that his injuries had extended to his head, making him hear things that just couldn't be possible. "I think I heard you wrong," he said. "Because I swear I just heard you say that you blasted our engines. The ones that we need to get out of here before that warship explodes right next to us."

Blushing, Gotenks grinned weakly. "No, you heard right," he rallied. "I did it. Umm…would it help if I got out and pushed?" he offered generously.

Only his broken ribs prevented Vegeta from launching himself at the fused Saiyan and throttling Gotenks out of sheer frustration. "Why the hell did you do that?" he snarled, trying to keep his rage leashed. Then, as Gotenks started to stammer an explanation, he decided it didn't matter. There was no more time. The ship rocked violently as the warship next to them finally exploded for real in a rain of fire and twisted metal.

Both Vegeta and Gotenks were thrown to the floor as the Tsufuru-jin ship shuddered and spun out of control. His vision going gray, Vegeta clung to the control panel and tried to marshal his thoughts. Warning claxons shrieked as the already damaged engines were being torn apart by the stresses of the nearby explosion. 

"Shit!" Vegeta gasped. "This ship is gonna blow too!" His mind raced frantically for an alternative and found one.  "The scout ship!" he ordered Gotenks.

Eyes widening, Gotenks grinned and nodded, bolting to the exit, Vegeta grimly staggering behind him. Gotenks lifted into the air and blasted down the corridor, out of sight in an instant. Vegeta snarled in frustration, trying to make his injured body move faster. His breath came in short, painful gasps and black spots were now exploding in front of his eyes. It was clear that he wasn't going to make it. 

Another explosion shook the ship, sending Vegeta crashing to his hands and knees. He raised his head, almost expecting to see the bright blackness of space when strong hands around his waist hoisted him into the air.

"Why are you just sitting here Vegeta, we have to move!" Gotenks encouraged as they flew down the corridor toward the cargo bay.  

If he hadn't been so hurt, Vegeta might have died of embarrassment right on the spot. It was humiliating having to be rescued by this dual Saiyan freak. He heard Gotenks laughing in his ear. Growling, Vegeta realized with horror that the fool was _enjoying _this!  He was worse than a natural born Saiyan! 

"Almost there!" Gotenks cheered himself on unashamedly. He decided that going on adventures with Vegeta was great! He would have to make sure they did this more often.

Meanwhile, Vegeta was not having nearly as much fun. Grimly, he hung onto consciousness; concentrating on breathing and letting Gotenks get them there. He raised his head as they slammed to a stop and got their first look at the cargo bay. 

It had been reduced to a twisted mass of rubble. The remains of the scout ship were jammed into the far wall, which was bowing out in an inevitable hull-breach.

"Uh, got a plan B?" Gotenks asked, still not worried. Gotenks wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer but had unfailing confidence in Vegeta's ability to get them out of this.  

"Fool, that _was_ plan B. Plan A didn't involve you crippling our own ship! Have you never battled in space before?"  Vegeta snapped as he struggled to get down on his feet. Gotenks put him down easily, still waiting for the Saiyan prince to find a way to get them out of this situation. 

"Nope, this is my first time," was the reply. Gotenks beamed, "Its so cool!" 

Vegeta spat some blood and wiped his mouth. "The first rule is that you don't break your own ship, because we are out in the middle of nowhere and it's too far to walk to the nearest planet for repairs."

Giving an embarrassed laugh, Gotenks shrugged. "Oh yeah," he said. "So what is plan C?"

"I'm working on it!"  Vegeta now believed whole-heartedly that Gotenks intelligence seemed to be inversely proportional to his power. And he was very powerful.  Determinedly, he took stock of the situation. The ship was going to blow up at any time, the scout ship was now modern art against the hull, the escape pods had been used by the Tsufuru-jin…except for one! "Okay, there is one more escape pod. It's by engineering."

"Gotcha!" Gotenks scooped up the swaying prince and shot down another corridor, in the direction of the engine room.  For once it seemed that they were in luck, the massive drive shafts were still intact, although a strange, glowing light seemed to be playing around them, making the room seem rather eerie. Dangerous energies filled the room. The hair on Gotenks and Vegeta's heads and on the prince's tail stood on end at the massive discharge of energies coming from the damaged engines.

Looking around, Gotenks spotted the escape pod and headed toward it. He opened it and peered inside. "I don't think it's big enough for the two of us," he observed.

"No time for that now!" Vegeta snapped and pushed the fused Saiyan face-first into the small pod, and jumped in directly behind him. Not caring that he was sitting on top of Gotenks, Vegeta closed the door and hit the eject button…

…just as the ship exploded in a massive plume of fire.

The next few minutes were among the more uncomfortable in Vegeta's life. The escape pod spun like a top before the inertial compensators could kick in. At last they leveled out and Vegeta took a deep breath, trying to clear away the dizziness. Underneath him, Gotenks moaned. "I'm gonna yak."

"Then find a bag to do it in," Vegeta told him impatiently as he worked to get something, anything to work.

"I don't see a bag," Gotenks said, trying to sit up underneath Vegeta.

"You don't see anything, idiot. There are no lights on," the prince told him.

Gotenks squirmed some more, nearly unseating Vegeta. As it was the prince banged his head the top of the circular pod. "Stop that!" he said irritably. A light shone out of his scouter, illuminating the tiny space. "That's better."

The pod was hardly big enough for one person, let alone two. It was only because neither of them was very big that they could fit into the pod at all. As it was, Vegeta had to sit on Gotenks lap when they finally got themselves situated after much shoving and complaining of long hair and tails getting on the other's eyes and mouth.

After running a system's diagnostic, Vegeta began to swear in soft, even tones.

"What is it?" Gotenks wanted to know, trying to peer around Vegeta's shoulder.

"This pod is obviously for last resort use only. It has no propulsion unit, so we are going nowhere, fast, with no hope of controlling our trajectory. We will keep traveling in this direction forever, thanks to the wonderful laws of inertia. Due to the damage caused by the Tsufuru-jin ship exploding on top of us, communications are out, so we can't call for help even if there was someone around, which there isn't because we are literally right out in the middle of nowhere."

"That's not good, is it?" Gotenks commented as he jerked his head to the side in order to dodge Vegeta's tail as it lashed back and forth, reflecting the prince's agitation. 

"It gets better," Vegeta said, sarcasm dripping form his voice.  "The oxygen tanks were damaged as well by the explosion, so our air is leaking out as we speak."

Gotenks powered down until his hair turned back into its black/purple upswept look. "Is there anything we can do?" he asked, for once serious.

Vegeta coughed, grimacing as pain shot through his ribs and blood coated his hand. "I'm thinking about it," he said. Vegeta refused to give up; it was against his nature. As long as he could think, he would continuously keep trying. There had to be a way!

"Think faster!" Gotenks encouraged. 

Growling a warning, Vegeta coughed up more blood. In the dimness of the cockpit, Gotenks didn't see it though. For a while they tumbled through space in silence until,  "I'm getting sleepy," Gotenks murmured, his eyes were drooping.

"It's the lack of oxygen, fool!" Vegeta snapped, trying to fight the panic that was threatening to rise in him. But there wasn't much he could do about their situation. Try as he might he could not think of anything that could save them. He was trapped and suffocating with no one around to help.

Unless…

He closed his eyes, starting to feel lightheaded. Ignoring it, he dove through his conscious mind, into the deep part of his brain and sent out a call.

'Kakarrot' 

Not waiting for a reply he opened his eyes, looking at the readout in front of him.  He sent out the information that the monitor was reading. Then his eyes closed and the darkness he fought for so long rose up to claim him as its own.

"Vegeta!"

Goku shot up from where he was sitting. He had been contemplating the stars, or at least that's what he told himself he was doing. Actually, he was just on the verge of a nap when the mental cry snapped him out of his stupor.

"Dad?" Gohan asked, looking up from his book, his voice rich with worry, but Goku held up a hand for silence. Then his face went white. 

"Vegeta!" he shouted, sending his mental voice winging through the vastness of space to an unreceptive mind. Turning to the others, Goku looked shaken. "He's gone," he said.

"Did he say anything?" Piccolo asked from behind the Saiyan. 

His brow furrowing, Goku scratched his head. "No, there were just some numbers."

"Numbers?" Gohan echoed. "What numbers?"

Shutting his eyes, Goku recited a long string of numbers, which Gohan copied down. As he looked at them, he thought he saw a pattern. "These are spatial coordinates," he noted.

"That must be where they are then," Piccolo observed. "Gohan!" he said, but the demi-Saiyan had anticipated the order. 

"I'm on it!" Gohan said as he entered the coordinates into the navigation computer and hit the enter key. The ship changed heading and shot forward.

"Can you contact Vegeta?" Piccolo asked Goku.

Goku was shaking his head. "No, the link is completely gone," he swallowed at the implications.

"Don't worry, he might just be unconscious. He warned you that might happen," Piccolo reminded him.

Nodding, Goku tried to calm down. He rubbed his palms on his pant legs and took some deep breaths. They had been getting closer to the boys, he had felt it.  "Vegeta didn't have this problem when we were inside of Buu.  He led us straight to you guys, and you were all unconscious," Goku said.

"Vegeta is a stronger telepath than you are," Piccolo said, his cape billowing gently, "and he shares a bond with Trunks."

Goku cocked his head to one side as he thought about it. But before he could reply, Gohan interrupted their conversation. "Guys, I'm getting some readings of massive explosions and heavy debris up ahead."

"I'm not surprised, seeing as Vegeta and the boys are involved," Piccolo observed.

Shooting him an amused look, Gohan straightened up. "There is an escape pod on tracking right now," he reported, and then went white as he continued to read. "But there are only two life forms inside."

"Are you sure?" Piccolo asked, exchanging a glance with Goku.

Nodding, Gohan licked his lips. "I don't know who it is though. There is too much interference to determined who survived." The demi-Saiyan felt sick with dread. Please, he did not want his little brother to be dead! But he had looked at Trunks as a younger brother too. As for Vegeta, the volatile prince had been a part of Gohan's life for so many years now that it was hard to picture him as dead. And he had already died twice, and Goten and Trunks had died once. That meant that Shenlong wouldn't be able to restore them to life.  The pain of loss tore at his soul, and he bit his lip. Filled with uncertainty, he looked up and could see his conflicted feelings reflected on the faces of his father and mentor as well.

As they approached the pod, Gohan reported more bad news. "The air is leaking out of the pod, and the life forces of the two are fading!" he shouted in alarm.

"Hurry up!" Piccolo growled as Gohan deftly maneuvered the spaceship alongside the drifting pod. Manning the mechanical arms, Piccolo snagged the pod and dragged it into the airlock. The three rushed to the airlock and after it was pressurized, opened it.  Goku seized hold of the space pod door and wretched it open with a metallic clang.

Huddling around the hatch, they peered into the dark interior and their eyes widened at the sight of the unconscious Vegeta limply sprawled out over an unconscious…

"Gotenks!" 

TBC


	12. And We're Off

Disclaimer: I do not own anything DBZ, except for my Vegeta wall scroll.

Warning: Angst, Humor, Language and (wait for it…) Violence!

Archive: Hell yeah!

Special Thanks to Stormy, Maria and Stacey for keeping me working on this. And to the wonderful people who leave such great reviews. Frozenflower: Sorry I do not have a mailing list. Believe me, I am too lazy to do something that ambitious. As you can see, I'm too lazy to even have my own FFN account. This is my sister's. To whom I am grateful for letting me use it.

-Annabell

A Killer in Me

Chapter 12

Carefully, Goku lifted the unconscious Saiyan prince out of the escape pod and handed him to Piccolo, who took the injured Vegeta to the tiny medical bay of the Capsule Corp space ship. Goku followed with Gotenks, who was already rousing from the fresh air.  The tall Saiyan had just set Gotenks down on a narrow padded examination table when the fusion ran out and all of the sudden there were two boys laying side by side and blinking up at their rescuers.

"Dad!" Goten exclaimed and jumped into Goku's arms, giving him a hug. Goku wrapped his arms around his youngest son and hugged him back, so hard that Goten's eyeballs bulged and he gasped for air.

"Oops, sorry Goten," he smiled. 

"Goten! We were worried about you," Gohan admonished his little brother from behind Goku. But he couldn't help but smile with relief while he said it.

"Where's my dad?" Trunks asked still sitting on the table, looking around for the Saiyan prince.

"Here," Piccolo answered, still cradling Vegeta in his massive arms. The furry tail hung limp like a rag. Blood was smeared across his lips and there were several darkening bruises on his chubby cheeks.

"Is he okay?" Goku asked, still holding Goten. He came over to inspect the little prince.

"He's alive, but someone sure beat the crap out of him," Piccolo said as he gently set Vegeta down on the table and eased off the blood spattered Furious George shirt. Gohan whistled in amazement at the black and purple-mottled bruises that coated Vegeta's slender stomach and chest. 

"He's got several broken ribs, and probably severe internal injuries. Do we have any Senzu beans?" the Nameckian asked as he gently probed Vegeta's chest.

Goku looked expectantly at Gohan, who frowned as he thought. "I think there are a few in the control room," he said.

"I'll get them!" Trunks leaped off the table and hurried into the control room.

Vegeta was rousing, his dark eyes drifting open and closing slowly. He tried to draw a breath but a spasm of coughing made him curl on his side in a ball. Blood gushed out of his mouth, staining the table.  Uncharacteristically, Piccolo laid a comforting hand on the prince's back, who didn't even notice its presence. Goten clung to his father's neck, worry clouded his normally carefree features. His expression was mirrored in Goku's face.

"Hurry up Trunks!" Gohan shouted. He hated seeing anyone hurt like this, and somehow little Vegeta seemed especially vulnerable.

"Here they are!" Trunks rushed in holding a simple brown cloth bag. He reached in, fished out a bean and handed it to Piccolo.  The Nameckian fighter pried Vegeta's clenched jaws apart and forced the bean into his mouth. At first Vegeta fought to spit it out, but Piccolo held him in a firm grip and soon he swallowed, nearly gagging on his own blood.

Which a few seconds, Vegeta's dark eyes opened and his taut body relaxed as he took a deep breath, marveling at the complete lack of pain. Sitting up, he shook his head and looked at the Z fighters, who were beaming back at him. "What did you do?" he asked, his dark eyes wide with wonder.

"It was a Senzu bean," Piccolo told him as he stepped back. 

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate, but Piccolo declined the unspoken invitation. Seeing this, the prince shrugged, "Whatever," and hopped down off the table. He was smart enough to draw his own conclusions and he was sure that somewhere in his scouter's database there was a record of these 'Senzu beans'. He picked up his Furious George shirt and ignoring the drying blood slipped it back on. As his tail curled, Vegeta felt the dried blood on that as well, sticking clumps of fur together in stiff spikes. It itched.

"Don't you want something cleaner?" Gohan asked as they headed toward the control room. He intended to set a course and get underway as soon as possible. He knew that Chi-Chi was going to be furious at them and hanging around in space wasn't going to lessen her temper at all. And when Chi-Chi was mad she tended to break things, like dishes, glasses and the occasional wall.

"What for?" Vegeta asked, puzzled. This was _his_ shirt, and a little blood wasn't going to kill him. He would be damned if he wore anything else.

"So are we ready to go home?" Goku asked, still holding Goten. They had all followed Gohan into the control room when Vegeta's announcement brought them up short. 

"I'm not going."

"Why?" Goku asked looking down at the small prince.

"It's none of your business." Vegeta was standing with his arms folded over his chest and his tail was jerking from side to side. His trademark scowl was firmly in place, the picture of stubbornness.

"What makes you think that you have a choice?" Piccolo rumbled from behind the prince.

Turning, Vegeta glared up at Piccolo, nearly baring his teeth in rage. "You can't force me to go," he snarled.

"Sure we can," Piccolo said with a barely disguised smugness. "That's the fun of having lots of power. You get to order other people around."

"Vegeta, why don't you want to go back?" Goku asked again. He knew Vegeta and the prince always had a motive for whatever he did. It was just that most of the time Vegeta never bothered to share them with anyone. But this time the Z fighters would hear them or they all would go straight home.

"I don't have to tell you," Vegeta snapped defensively as he put his back to a wall. Gohan and Piccolo exchanged a look. They could see that Vegeta was feeling cornered, and they knew that he did not react well to threats, it only made him dig in his heels even more. Piccolo was just starting to look for a wrench when Trunks spoke up.

"Does that planet have anything to do with it?" he asked innocently from the navigation controls.

Rounding on his son, Vegeta glared daggers. But Trunks just blinked. He didn't think he spilled any secrets.

"The what?" Gohan asked.

"A planet, you know, the thing that orbits a star, sometimes has life on it. A planet," Piccolo said a bit impatiently. Being trapped in deep space with _five_ Saiyans was being to get on his nerves. He could sense Kami's interest in what was going on and mentally growled at the former guardian of Earth. They were _not_ going to get involved further. But he had a sinking feeling that he was going to be outvoted on this because Nail was mildly interested too.

"I know what a planet is, Piccolo," Gohan said a trifle hurt at the Nameckian's sarcasm.

"Which planet?" Goku asked, trying to keep up with the conversation. 

Vegeta refused to say a word, but the youngest Son knew the answer and raised his hand and waved it in the air. "Oh! Oh! I know! It's Freiza Planet number 34," Goten supplied helpfully, from his father's arms.

"Why do you want to go there?"  Gohan asked.

"Vegeta's father sent him to spy on Freiza and he wants to go to Freiza Planet number 34 because he couldn't before," Goten said, oblivious to Vegeta's growing irritation. 

Piccolo looked carefully at the young prince and knew that there was much more going on them what Vegeta was letting on. But this time it was different. Now Vegeta was weaker and Piccolo was determined to get answers. "All right Vegeta, spill it. Or we are heading for Earth right now," he said, trying not to enjoy the prince's discomfort too much. 

"You heard the brat," Vegeta said shortly, almost pouting. 

"Yes, and now lets hear the rest of it. Starting with how you were sent to spy on Freiza." Piccolo folded his arms across his chest and looked sternly down on the young prince. For a minute, they glared at each other, and then Vegeta huffed. 

"Okay, fine. Have it your way." He leaned against the bulkhead with his arms crossed. The Z fighters all looked at each other in excitement. As an adult, Vegeta never would have explained anything and there was no way they could have forced him to. But now, they were finally going to get a glimpse of Vegeta's past.

"My father, King Vegeta, grew suspicious of Freiza even though they were supposedly allies. Freiza always did think he was King Shit of Turd Mountain, and his attitude stunk about as much. So my father discreetly, and I use the word advisedly considering he was a Saiyan, dug around and found out some very interesting things about that freak's species. It turned out that was no record of any Ice-jin ever being as powerful as Freiza and his family."

"You mean King Cold and Cooler?" Gohan asked.

Vegeta opened his dark eyes. "Yes, now are you done interrupting? You wanted to hear this, so let me tell it my way."

Gohan nodded and indicated that the prince should continue.  Satisfied, Vegeta closed his eyes again. "This added to my father's suspicions and he concluded that there was no natural way for Freiza to be so powerful, therefore someone must have given him that power." (1)

Opening his eyes, he could see that his audience was hanging on his every word. Smirking, Vegeta continued. "About this time, Freiza seemed to be getting to be quite nervous about the Saiyans. His troops loved to fight, but Saiyans tend to carry things to extremes. So in an effort to gain more control over them, he 'requested' that my father turn me over to him. He intended to use me as a hostage to insure their good behavior." Vegeta snorted in disdain. 

"I take it that didn't work?" Piccolo commented.

"The fool obviously didn't understand Saiyans as well as he thought," Vegeta replied. "If he had ever carried through with the threat to harm me, they would have attacked with everything they had. Saiyans love a good fight and that would have been a perfect excuse to attack the bastard. But my father had a different idea, so he agreed. He wanted me to spy on Freiza."

"Weren't you pretty young for that?" Piccolo asked. 

Vegeta grinned evilly. "That's the kind of thinking that gets you into trouble, Nameck. Freiza was a paranoid, but not even he thought that a 'stupid' Saiyan cub could possibly be any kind of spy. It never crossed that freak's mind that I was gathering information about his organization and his supporters for my father."

"How long did you do this?" Gohan asked. Following Piccolo's lead, he figured it was safe to start asking questions again. 

"Even after he destroyed Vegetasei I still kept gathering information. No one took me seriously, even my staged tantrums were considered 'cute'." Vegeta grimaced sourly. He hated being thought of as 'cute'. "The soldiers became used to me and would let their guard down when I was around, because who would have thought that a brat prince from a dead world could be a threat? That's how I found out about Freiza Planet number 34."

"How" Gohan asked. 

Vegeta answered. "Some of us were sent to purge a planet of insect people who had barely invented the wheel. It was a boring purge, I yawned all the way through it. Anyway, I was coming over to report our progress when I overheard Zarbon and Dodoria gossiping. They were worse than two old ladies sometimes. It turned out that they were discussing a certain planet that had the nerve to destroy three of Freiza's best teams who were trying to invade, and he found that rather irritating."

"I can imagine," Piccolo muttered.

"So Freiza decided to go there himself with twenty five more teams and see what the problem was."

 "It seems like a bit of overkill," Gohan noted.

Vegeta nodded. "Freiza was always a bit ostentatious. When he got there he sent in his troops and sat back and waited for them to conquer the planet. And waited and waited. But they didn't return and he had no idea what had happened to them, at least not right away. But he found out soon enough when the inhabitants started lobbing the bodies of the invasion teams at him."

"I'll bet that didn't go over well with him," Goku said with a grin. 

"From what I heard, he invented several new swearwords on the spot. Freiza can be very narrow-minded sometimes when things don't go according to his plans."

"I would have loved to seen his face," Gohan snickered.

Smirking, Vegeta nodded. "Me too. After he calmed down a bit, he started making the usual threats about how he was much more powerful than his underlings, and that if they didn't surrender, he would destroy them all."

"So then what happened?" Trunks asked, completely caught up in the story.

"Completely unimpressed, the inhabitants threw some more bodies at him."

The Saiyans laughed out loud and even Piccolo smiled.

Vegeta went on. "I guess Freiza raved for quite a while after that and made more threats, then he decided that he had had enough of being mocked. He couldn't stand it when people didn't take him seriously."

"I think it was because he was so short. Short people tend to be touchy about being made fun of." Piccolo observed. 

Shooting a glare at Piccolo, Vegeta turned his back to the Nameckian.  "So he fired up one of those big energy balls of his and threw it at the planet."

"So then what happened?" Goku and Goten asked at the same time.

"They bounced it right back at him. He wasn't expecting that and toasted his own tail for his efforts," Vegeta said offhandedly. The Saiyans roared with delight and even Piccolo chuckled. "So did the next one, and the one after that. After about the seventh try, Freiza finally gave up. One thing about Freiza was that he was persistent to the point of idiocy.  After he put out his smoldering hide, he declared the entire planet quarantined and no one was allowed to either go to the planet or try to leave it."

"What happened then?" Gohan asked, figuring it was his turn.

Vegeta shrugged. "Zarbon got called away and Dodoria spotted me so I strolled in, pretending like I just got there. That fat fool might have been suspicious if I hadn't been a Saiyan. Everybody knows that Saiyans wouldn't know a secret if they stumbled over one coming from the bathroom."

Piccolo studied the cocky prince. Somewhere along the way, Vegeta had slipped up, and they _had_ caught onto him. But as of now the prince didn't remember that. The Nameckian frowned when an odd thought occurred to him. When they changed Vegeta back, would he then remember everything he had gone through in Freiza's service once again? And would he go back to being the same vicious-tempered, bitter Vegeta that they all knew and (snort) loved? That took Piccolo's thought in a different direction.

What he was seeing here was the true Vegeta, unspoiled by cruelty and hate. Sure, he was still arrogant and proud, condescending and sarcastic, but the underlying rage was missing from the Saiyan prince, the ceaseless drive to be better, faster, _stronger_ than those around him. In an odd way, he missed the old Vegeta, because for some reason that Piccolo did not care to examine too closely, he felt like he could relate to that version of the Saiyan prince.

"So why do you want to go there now?" Gohan was asking, pulling Piccolo out of his ruminations.

"I didn't know the planet's location then, because Freiza was worried that someone might come up with the idea of allying themselves with whomever lived there, and _that _didn't sit too well with him. So Freiza had the coordinates erased from all records and forbade anyone to speak of it again. But it appears that sometime after I grew up, I found out where the planet was."

"I knew that you tended to go into space occasionally and I always wondered why. I guess you've been looking for the planet all this time," Piccolo said.

Goku scratched his head; " I didn't know you took trips into space, Vegeta."

"You've been dead, Dad." Gohan reminded him.

"Oh yeah," Goku grinned.

"Now can we get on with it?" Vegeta asked impatiently. He had told his story and wanted to get underway. It had accomplished his goal for the time being. He was _not_ going back to Earth. There was no way in hell he was going to let them change him back.

"Well, what do you think guys?" Goku proposed. To him, it sounded like a great adventure. It had been a while since anything interesting had happened and frankly he was getting rather bored with his life. Grinning to himself he thought _Leave it to Vegeta to liven things up around here._

"Lets go!" Trunks immediately volunteered. This sounded like it had potential to be the coolest adventure he had done in a while, since the Buu incident. Adventuring with his father was rapidly becoming one of his favorite pastimes.

"Yeah!" Goten agreed wholeheartedly.

"I'm in," Goku said.

Gohan hesitated. He had school tomorrow and he just _knew_ that Chi-Chi wasn't going to take this very well. But the usually repressed Saiyan side of him ached for the adventure. He looked at Piccolo.

Piccolo gritted his teeth as all eyes fell on him. He knew that Kami wanted to go along for whatever reason, and he could feel Nail's interest as well.  Mentally, he growled at them, but they refused to back down. Finally he gave in. "All right! I suppose someone should go along that has some sense at least."

"So we are agreed?"  Gohan asked.

"Yup!" the Saiyans, minus Vegeta who just smirked triumphantly, chorused. 

"Vegeta, do you have the coordinates?" Gohan asked.

Rolling his eyes, the prince said, "Of course." Vegeta reached up and took off his scouter. Stalking his way to the control panel, he opened a port and plugged it into the Capsule Corps spaceship's main computer. Then he said in a clear voice, "Download Freiza Planet files main block exe. authorization Prince Vegeta 23."

For several seconds, nothing seemed to happen, and then the scouter beeped twice. "There," he said shortly, crossing his arms. "All set."

"So where are we going?" Goku asked. Seeing the others giving him incredulous looks, amended his question. "I meant, where in the galaxy are we going?"

Rolling his eyes, Vegeta sneered. "Display Planet Freiza number 34." The screen lit up, starting with the most incredible three-dimensional graphic view of a spiral galaxy. Literally millions of different stars were depicted in tiny relief against the bright blackness of space. Piccolo thought he could pick out a red giant and several nebulas and maybe even a quasar. It was easy to tell that the state of the art computer had to struggle to keep up with the files it was trying to display. 

"This is our galaxy," Vegeta narrated. He gestured to a small dot to the left with an arrow pointing to it. "We are here."

The image zoomed in tight on the north quadrant. Then graphics divided up a large section of stars into three parts. It then pulled into a tight view of the largest of those parts. It continued to zero in. "This is Freiza Planet number 34." Pointing to a single star that glowed although surrounded by darkened stars, he ordered the computer to zoom in again. The star grew until it glowed brightly in the center of the screen. Orbiting the star were four planets. The second one was highlighted. "This was the one planet that was never purged, not for lack of trying though."

"Why is this planet so important?" Gohan asked as he felt the vibration of the engines as they got underway.

Shooting him an impatient glare, Vegeta tapped his bicep. "I think that whoever lives there might know something about how Freiza got his power. They certainly were strong enough to resist him with no effort."

"Well, whatever. We can discuss this later. Goku, why don't you call Bulma and tell her we will be late," Piccolo suggested.

"Well, she'll yell at me." Goku replied, thinking that Piccolo actually asked him a question.

"It was a rhetorical question, Goku," Piccolo could feel the beginnings of a headache starting already. He blamed Kami and Nail, of course.

"Oh, okay. But why me?" Goku very nearly whined. 

"Because she likes you, which is more than can be said for me." Piccolo told him.

"Okay!" Goku said cheering up.

"Besides, your ears aren't as sensitive as mine are," Piccolo said, sounding suspiciously smug.

"Oh all right." Goku went to the control panel and hit a button. Immediately an indignant squeal came from the computer and the screen dissolved into static.

"Kakarrot you oaf, what have you done now?" Vegeta shouted in alarm, fearing his precious scouter had been damaged somehow by Goku's clumsiness.  

"Nothing, Vegeta, I swear!" Goku raised his hands in a gesture of innocence. Then he turned around and stared at the screen as it resolved into a picture of a very familiar face.

"Vegeta?" Gohan asked, staring at the image. It _looked_ like the prince, but he had a goatee and mustache. Careworn lines around his face indicated too many hard decisions and too much time scowling. He was wearing some sort of white armor with a strange symbol on the breastplate. Then the picture began to move.

"Are you sure you know how to turn it on?" the older version of Vegeta asked the camera, a slightly mischievous smirk on his lips.

"Of course father!" was a child's indignant reply. The voice was familiar and as one they all turned and looked at Vegeta, who was staring in horror at the image. "Don't treat me like I'm one of those lame-brained third class idiots who spend half the day trying to tie their shoes." 

"Oh my god, it _that_ King Vegeta?" Gohan asked in awe. For the first time in their lives, the Earth-raised Saiyans saw the face of their King. The resemblance between the small prince and the person on the screen was uncanny. It was obvious that it could be no other person.

"My grandfather?" Trunks breathed, standing up for a better look. 

"It seems to be," Piccolo answered, because Vegeta wasn't saying a word. He was standing with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his face was pale, but his gaze never left the screen. Then the image on the screen drew their attention again.

"I was just teasing you son. It was an excellent idea you had there. No one will know it isn't a scouter. Take care of that. I expect you to bring back all the information I need so we can defeat Freiza once and for all." The king was smiling at the camera, which jostled briefly then steadied again.

"Of course, I am the prince of Vegetasei and will not let you down." The prince came into view of the camera, as he had obviously been holding it and put it down. He looked up at his father, who towered over him. The King looked down at his son, his expression was of fierce pride for the prince.

"I know you won't. You truly are the Prince of all Saiyans," he said, and then grinned evilly as he abruptly scooped up the child who struggled indignantly.

"Father! Put me down!" he demanded then broke into a fit of giggles as the king tickled his sides.

"Nope, I think I will hold you for a while," the King said, still tickling his son, who was now shrieking with laughter.

"Stop!" Vegeta squirmed as he laughed. His tail lashed the air as he struggled to free himself from the playful onslaught.

The King did stop, and for a moment, unguarded tenderness filled his normally stern features. The prince didn't see it though; he was too busy trying to catch his breath as he was held in his father's strong arms.

To the Earth-raised Saiyans, it was like looking into a different world, one heard only in legends. For years Vegeta had only spoken of the fighting abilities and the pride of the Saiyans. But here was the King of that warlike race, playing with his son like an ordinary father. And seeing Vegeta himself looking so young and carefree and downright _adorable_ it was almost unimaginable that these Saiyans could inspire terror throughout their quadrant of the galaxy. 

King Vegeta's expression grew grave. "Be careful son. Freiza is stronger than you can imagine. Use all your cunning and never let your guard down. You are the Prince of the Saiyans, the pride of our people. Never forget that."

The little prince looked into his father's eyes, a cocksure grin on his face. "Don't worry. We'll kill that maniac and then we'll rule the galaxy. You wait and see."

Putting his son down, the King straightened up. "Yes we will. But you have to get that information first."

"You can count on me," Vegeta assured his father as he gazed up at the King in pure adoration, his furry tail curling behind him like a question mark. 

The image on the screen swooped violently as Vegeta ran over and scooped up his scouter, then it steadied again as the prince put it on. The image focused on the King of Vegetasei once more.  "I know son. I'm proud of you." Then the screen abruptly went dark as Vegeta, the one on the ship, grabbed his scouter and not quite ran from the control room, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.

TBC

(1) See Then It Comes To Be. Posted under Reber's author page at FFN. 


	13. Connections

Disclaimer: I do not own anything DBZ, except the Final Atonement DVD.

Warnings: Angst, Humor, Language and Violence. (as if you didn't already realize that, and if not, what _have_ you been reading?)

Archive: Hell Yeah!

Special thanks go to Stormy, Maria and Stacey, for not letting me give up on this. And most of all to the reviewers. Thanks so much. Each of them has been wonderful and an inspiration to keep going. Please note, though. I have many, many interests, not to mention that work has been insane lately, and that means that updates for fics are going to be sporadic at best.

-Annabell

A Killer In Me

Chapter 13

The bright blackness of space surrounded the Capsule Corp. ship as it rocketed towards its destination.  It made no sound, as sound cannot travel in a vacuum despite assurances by most filmmakers that explosions can indeed be heard.  Its passengers were five Saiyans and one Nameckian. Or, to be accurate, two full Saiyans, and three half-Saiyans. 

It was rather quiet on board as well. In the room that the boys claimed as their own, the silence was…expectant, waiting for something to fill it. The three occupants, Vegeta, Trunks and Goten, were indeed, waiting.  Waiting for Vegeta to come to a decision in fact. 

Vegeta eyed the two half-Saiyans sitting facing him on the bed, which, in turn eyed him back while sporting identical, disconcerting grins. Well, disconcerting only if you weren't the prince of all Saiyans.  He sensed Piccolo watching them from the doorway with lazy interest, but ignored the Nameckian with practiced ease. Piccolo was no threat to him, but the two in front of him…well that might be a different story.

"C'mon, Father! It'll be fun!" Trunks encouraged, finally breaking the silence. Beside him, Goten nodded vigorously, his eyes blazing with excitement. 

"That depends on your version of fun," Vegeta growled, doubt filling his voice. He knew they wanted this, and so did he, sort of. Well, no one could accuse the Saiyan prince of dithering. Shaking his head, he decided to go for it and fixed them with a firm glare. "Very well."

"YES!" The two demi-Saiyans exchanged high-fives with glee. 

"Settle down, both of you," Vegeta snapped, his tail swishing back and forth over the bed they had shared. Earlier, unbeknownst to the three of them, Gohan had strolled by and peeked in on them while they, tired from roughhousing, had caught a nap. They were all piled together like a litter of puppies, and Gohan couldn't resist getting a camera and snapping a few pictures. He planned on using them for blackmail material if given the chance. 

They had been on the ship for over a day now, and were now nearing their objective: Planet Freiza number 34. During that time, they had rested, ate, sparred, ate, sparred, and ate. Trunks and Goten offered to fuse again to demonstrate the technique to Vegeta, but Vegeta declined. He had no interest in fusing with anybody, even though they had assured him that he had, in the past, fused with Goku twice. This had earned them a skeptical stare and a derisive sniff. He still refused, though, saying that he had had enough of Gotenks, calling him a twit and even the Nameck had better fashion sense. 

To Piccolo's immense relief, the younger Saiyans had kept their attention fixed on the prince, rather than himself.  He also noticed that Gohan and Goku seemed to be just as intrigued. Vegeta had no time to himself, constantly being surrounded by curious friends and family. He might have sympathized with Vegeta, but the young prince bore it with practiced ease. He was raised to be the center of any Saiyan's attention. 

It was interesting, Piccolo mused as he watched their interaction. Young Vegeta seemed to almost enjoy the attention, despite his trademark sarcastic comments. Older Vegeta would have lost his patience much sooner and told them all to get lost. Or threatened to get them lost. Piccolo found himself constantly comparing the two versions of the prince. Ruefully, he realized that the complex boy that would become the enigmatic man held a fascination to them all. 

Now, the kids were sitting in their room on their bed, seemingly planning more mischief. So Piccolo decided to appoint himself to keep an eye on them, just in case what they were planning involved him. 

"What do we do?" Goten asked, nearly quivering with anticipation. 

"Nothing," Vegeta replied shortly. "Just sit still and close your eyes.  I will do everything."

Both demi-Saiyans obediently closed their eyes, trying not to fidget with excitement.  Taking one of their hands in each of his, Vegeta gave them one last look before he too closed his eyes. Focusing inward, he dove down, past the conscious and the subconscious, into the deepest part of his brain. Briefly, he felt Kakarrot, and pushed the thread away with brisk efficiency.  He had never done this before, although he knew it was theoretically possible to do. He began to imagine two threads, picturing their shape and texture. He was sweating as he bent his will, adding a purple hue to one and a cheerful, determined personality to the other. At last, he thought he had enough of a hold on them, and gathering his indomitable will, he 'threw' the threads at the boys in front of him. 

_'Trunks! Goten!'_ he thought clearly.

Trunks gasped and opened his eyes as he felt the connection flare to life. "I heard you!" He grinned in amazement. Beside him, Goten still had his eyes closed. Trunks turned to his best friend. "Did you hear it?"

His eyes wide, Piccolo understood. After Trunks and Goten found out how Goku and the others had tracked them, they had decided that they too wanted to share an active bond with Vegeta. If they had been full-blooded Saiyans, this would not have been a problem. Trunks and Goten, by the simple virtue of being Saiyan, would have already shared a bond with their prince, much like the one between Vegeta and Goku. But, being a half-breed, Goten didn't have that inherent privilege, and unless Vegeta consciously opened his mind to him and established the link, it would not exist. It appeared that Trunks' being Vegeta's son had given him the potential, but Vegeta himself had to establish the link. 

Now, all three of the young Saiyans shared a telepathic bond. Again, Piccolo wasn't sure whether this was a good thing or not. If asked, the grown-up version of Vegeta might not have allowed it, for various reasons. But as a child, he considered the request and found it not unreasonable. Or maybe Vegeta had just gotten tired of being pestered constantly about it, Piccolo mused.

Frowning, Goten cocked his head to one side. "Be quiet, Trunks. I'm trying to hear Vegeta," he told him impatiently.

Realizing that Vegeta had been speaking, he shut up and tried to apologize to his father. Not being familiar with thought-speech, he thought '_Sorry father!' _as loud as he could.

"Gah!" Vegeta shook his head in a vain attempt to escape the shouting in his head. _'You needn't shout,'_ he thought irritably. _'Think clearly, like normal. I can hear you quite well. And don't mumble.'_ This was in response to Trunks' whispered apology for his apology. The prince opened his eyes and released Trunks and Goten's hands. Both boys' eyes opened wide. "Wow!" was all Goten could think to say. Trunks nodded in wholehearted agreement. "Can we talk to you anytime?" he asked.

Rolling his eyes, Vegeta hopped down from the bed and stretched, his tail fluffed behind him. "No, you can only talk to me when I want you to. It would drive me insane to have you two constantly chattered in my head." 

Looking thoughtful, Trunks and Goten jumped off the bed and went into the galley, Vegeta trailing after them as he fixed his scouter back over his eye. Goku and Gohan were already there, eating with gusto. 

"Hey guys!" Goku greeted them with his usual cheer. "Hungry?" He pointed to the heaps of various foodstuffs spread out on the table in front of them.

"Yeah!" Goten jumped into a chair and began to help himself.

"Trunks, Vegeta?" Gohan inquired, though he needn't have bothered. They were Saiyans, of course they would eat. 

As the Saiyans inhaled their food along with the available oxygen, Goten suddenly bust out laughing, nearly choking on a mouthful of food. As Gohan and Goku turned to the youngest Son, Trunks too started giggling.  Vegeta just kept eating, looking unbearably smug.

"What's so funny?" Gohan asked, wanting to share the joke. 

Goten clapped his hands over his mouth, to keep from laughing too hard. Trunks made no such effort. He was laughing so hard; he fell off his chair with a _thump_. Vegeta just kept eating, glancing at them with that same air of knowing something that the others did not.

"Care to share the joke?" Goku asked, smiling with puzzlement.

Struggling to catch his breath, all Goten could gasp was, "(pant)…Vegeta…(gasp)…said," and dissolved into giggles again.

"Vegeta? He didn't say a word," Gohan said, bewildered.

Trunks climbed back up from under the table, took one look at Goten and send them both back into peals of laughter. Both Goku and Gohan looked at the prince. Suddenly they understood.

"All right Vegeta. What did you say to them?" Gohan demanded. He knew it had been something to do with either Goku or himself as the butt of the joke. He hoped it had been about his father, so he too could share in the laughter.

Before Vegeta could decide whether to answer, Piccolo interrupted them.  "We are here," he rumbled. They all looked at him, and got to their feet, eager to see this strange planet.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So this is Planet Freiza number 34," Piccolo said with a definite lack of enthusiasm as he looked out the port window. They were orbiting the planet. "Not exactly what I pictured it to be."

The planet they were above was very, well, _strange_ to say the least. It was roughly the size of Earth, maybe a little bigger, which meant a slight increase in gravity, but not enough for the Z fighters to notice. It had the usual carbon dioxide/oxygen atmosphere mixture, but heavier on the oxygen. The sky was a sickly green, of all things, almost reminding Piccolo of Nameck.  But the main difference was that there was no water or deserts or mountains. The whole planet was covered from pole to pole with a thick forest of trees that were metal and easily as big as skyscrapers.

"Well, there is no point in hanging around up here all day," Goku said. "Lets go say hello."

Gohan piloted the ship down, trying to find someplace suitable for landing. But there was no clearing big enough to set down in. The teenager had just decided to take it back up again when Trunks, who had been watching the scanners, shouted, "A city!"

"What?" Gohan jerked his head to look at Trunks. Vegeta's son was pointing out of the large side portal to what could be described as a jumble of buildings, if the person describing them had indulged in a leave of his or her senses. Gohan was so distracted by the utter alien-ness of the city that he momentarily forgot that he was piloting the ship.

"Look out!" Piccolo shouted.

Gohan looked up to see a burnished silver tree seem to rise up right in front of them. All he had time for was a single un-Gohanlike, "Shit!" before the spaceship and all its occupants crashed directly into the solid trunk. Since the spaceship was hardly unstoppable, and the tree was, for all intents and purposes, very immovable, the spaceship lost that round.  One thing that should be noted was that though the tree stopped the forward movement of the latest innovation of Capsule Corp technology, it did not stop the downward movement, so the spaceship and all its occupants slid down the trunk of the tree, bouncing off thick branches, and jarring the Saiyans and the Namekian like so much popcorn until they couldn't tell which way was up.

After this went on for what seemed to be far too long, what was left of the spaceship came to rest on the ground. Inside, the occupants started the painful task of sorting themselves out and assessing their injuries. Luckily, the Z fighters were practically indestructible, but that didn't mean that they were impervious.

"Oww," Trunks commented from underneath Gohan. 

"Ugh," Goten agreed from on top of Piccolo who was trying to sit up. 

"Everyone alright?" Goku asked, sitting up and rubbing his head.

"I think so," Gohan answered as he climbed to his feet and held a hand out to Trunks, helping him up too.

"Excellent piloting Gohan. Where did you learn, the Flight School for the Blind?" Vegeta asked sarcastically, from a dented corner. He was examining his tail inch by inch, making sure it wasn't broken. 

"Bite me, Vegeta," Gohan growled. 

"I would if I wasn't afraid of contracting the same disease that robbed you of your sight," Vegeta snarled back. Satisfied that it was still in working order, he stood up and seeing a long gash in the side of the ship, used it as an exit.  Still rubbing their sore parts, the others followed him.

The silvery sun shone down on them, making the Z fighters' eyes water against the glare. They had 'landed' against the base of the tree, which was closely surrounded by others. The trees towered out of sight above them. They had no leaves and were utterly still. The air was bitterly cold, and inhumanly still.  

Piccolo emerged from the crash last, scowling with annoyance as his cape caught on a jagged shard of metal plating. With a practiced jerk, he freed himself then looked around at the surrounding forest as his caped once again settled around his body, billowing gently.  Goten, who was standing nearby, felt the cape brush his arm and he looked over at Piccolo. For the first time, he seemed to notice the strange behavior of the garment.

"Piccolo," he asked, "Why does your cape move like that if there is no wind?"

Antenna raised in mild surprise, Piccolo looked down at the youngest Saiyan. He had never figured Goten to ask simply because most times Goten was as clueless as his father. But then…Goku had asked that question too recently.  Lips twitching slightly, he answered with the same explanation that Gohan had used. "It is a prerequisite for wearing a cape."

"Actually, its because he's so full of hot air," Vegeta commented from a few yards away. 

Piccolo glared and Goten looked blank. Gohan snorted, trying to cover up a laugh. He quickly swallowed it when Piccolo turned his glare on him.  Clearing his throat, Gohan did his best to look innocent and decided to concentrate on their surroundings.

The whole planet was eerily silent. There was no life to be sensed in any direction. No little creatures made noises, no insects, and no reptiles. There were only the monstrous trees. And yet, the Z fighters felt like they were being watched.

Vegeta walked up to one of the trees that towered out of sight and craned his neck to peer up at the shiny leafless branches. He adjusted his scouter at scan the tree. "The tree is actually growing, pulling the metals deep from underground. How can metal be alive?" he wondered. His tail curled from side to side. "No wonder Freiza wanted this planet. The heavy metals in the core of one of these trees could power a single stardrive for years."

Trunks walked over to stand by his father. The prince hadn't spoken much after the incident in the control room. He had seemed embarrassed by the whole thing and refused to talk about it afterwards. It puzzled Trunks as to why, though. Vegeta never really showed him much affection, except for that one time right before he died trying to kill Buu. He had hugged Trunks. But the lack of demonstration never really bothered the demi-Saiyan much because he _knew_ deep inside that Vegeta loved him and would go to any length to protect him. He had even walked through the innards of Buu himself to rescue Trunks when the unstoppable pink monster had absorbed him and Goten.   

"Are you sure this is the right planet?" Goku asked, looking around as he scratched the back of his head. From what Vegeta had said, there should have been someone there to greet them if nothing else. But the planet seemed devoid of life altogether. Just the huge metal trees.

Frowning, Vegeta accessed his scouter again. "Yes, I'm sure this is the place," he snapped, but he too was puzzled. From what he remembered, and what the records on the scouter had indicated, there should have been a large population of 'something' here.

"I can't sense anyone," Trunks commented. Of course all of them had tried, but each had come up with nothing, except for a vague uneasy feeling of being watched. 

"Well, we could go check out Trunks' city," Gohan suggested. They had come all that way, and maybe they could find something that would justify their trip, to Chi-Chi if nothing else.

Still looking up, Vegeta launched himself into the air, flying parallel to the enormous tree trunk that had been intimately introduced to their ship. He flew until he reached the topmost branches of the tree and landed on a slender branch that easily supported his slight weight. Trunks and the others followed immediately. 

"Wow! What a view!" Goku commented as he lighted on a lower branch. Following the Saiyans' example, they all picked a branch and gazed out over the forest. Stretching out as far as they could see in all directions, metallic trees reflected the sunlight, dazzling the Z fighters with their sheer brilliance. Like frozen fireworks they gleamed luminous colors.    

Piccolo had the sharpest eyes and he noticed something a bit different off to the west. "There is something over there," he said, pointing. "I think it is Trunks' city."

"Let's take a look," Gohan said. Without further comment, the Z fighters launched themselves into the air. By some unspoken agreement, they took their time, flying almost leisurely in the direction Piccolo had indicated. As they drew closer, they could make out large buildings spread out over a cleared section of the landscape. It was indeed an alien city.

"See, I told you that there was someone here," Vegeta gloated, secretly relieved.  

Grinning with excitement, Trunks and Goten started flying faster, eager to get to the city and explore. But clawed hands on the backs of their collars stopped them abruptly. "I think we should be on guard here," Piccolo growled at the two boys. "Something doesn't feel right."

"Ah, lighten up, Piccolo. There is no one here," Trunks whined. Goten nodded in agreement.

"I'm not so sure," the Namekian said doubtfully.

His face scrunched up in thought, Gohan glanced at Piccolo. "I have to agree with Piccolo, guys. There is something not right here, so let's be careful." They started forward once again, heading to the single city on the planet. Soon it came into full view and some unspoken agreement made them drop to the ground well outside the city and look at it.

The immense buildings seemed to glower back. Gohan shifted uneasily as he studied the city. There was no rhyme or reason to the structure of the buildings. Asymmetrical shapes with distorted windows and doors that were too alien for his mind to accept kept him scanning the city, trying to find something familiar, something that made sense, but there was nothing. 

Beside him, Piccolo stirred uneasily. "I don't think that whoever made this city was a native to this planet," he said in a low voice as if he were trying not to attract attention to them.

"Why do you think that?" Goku asked.

"Because only one city seems to indicate that a group settled here instead of scattered villages if whatever lived here evolved naturally." Piccolo frowned. "Whomever built this city seems to have left as well."

Trunks caught a movement out of the corner of his eyes and turned, but there was nothing, just the forest. Goten saw him turn and asked him what was wrong. Shrugging, Trunks replied, "I thought I saw something."

Vegeta was scanning the city with his scouter. His scowl deepened. "Whomever built this city used materials from the forest. The whole city is made from metals found in those trees. But they added something and my scouter can't penetrate any of the buildings."

"So we are going in blind?" Gohan asked.

"Should be normal for you," Vegeta sniped. 

"Vegeta, shut up," Piccolo said absently not taking his eyes from the alien buildings. He ignored the glare the Saiyan prince shot at him. 

"Can we go now?" Trunks asked impatiently.  The adults exchanged glances but there was no obvious reason to not go on. Again, by some unspoken agreement, they walked to the city rather than flew.  They had no idea what was in store for them, but they were determined to find out.

TBC

Note: Sorry it took so long to get this out. I've been…busy.


End file.
